The 2022 season has been very eventful for Valorant teams and in the battles that took place during the tournaments, some of the players distinguished themselves by carrying their teams to victories and prestigious trophies.
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Top 5 American Valorant Players of the Year
These are the players who impressed the Valorant community the most in 2022. Keep in mind that the list only includes American players. In other words, we’re talking about North American and South American competitors.
1. FNS
It seems that the years he spent competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has turned FNS into a masterful IGL. His contribution to OpTic Gaming’s results is undeniable and the fact that his team is winning trophies and playing in Grand Finals is a clear demonstration of his skills.
FNS spent less than a year on OpTic Gaming’s active roster but during this time, the team finished in the top 3 at every important Valorant tournament. At VTC 2022: Stage 1 Masters – Reykjavik, they won the trophy. At Copenhagen (Stage 2), they finished 3rd. And at VALORANT Champions 2022, they finished 2nd.
No doubt, for many people, OpTic’s defeat against LOUD in the Grand Final of VALORANT Champions 2022 was a big disappointment. But if we look at what OpTic has achieved overall under the leadership of FNS, it’s clear that his input was crucial in the team’s success.
2. Victor
Another American Valorant player who impressed this year with his performance was Victory. He too was an OpTic member and is now inactive. Before joining OpTic, Victor proved his skills as a member of Team EnVy, with which he won important tournaments in 2021 and got top results in many more.
Victor is 26 years old and his main Valorant Agents are KAY/O, Raze, and Jett. Unlike FNS, who is 30, he still has at least 5 more years left before he retires. But we’ll have to see what team he will play for next season.
3. Marved
Before joining OpTic Gaming, Marved played for FaZe Clan and Team EnVy. That’s how he built his reputation as one of the best Brimstone players in the world. His two other favorite Agents are Omen and Astra.
At just 22, Marved is already highly accomplished in Valorant and a lot of teams would love to have a player like him. In 2022, his performance brought OpTic Gaming numerous important results and that easily puts him in this top 5.
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4. Saadhak
Saadhak joined LOUD in February 2022 and under his leadership, the team immediately started to get important results. Initially, LOUD won VTC Brazil Stage 1 Challengers with ease. Then they went on to finish 2nd at VTC Stage 1 Masters: Reykjavik. And just two months later, they won VTC Brazil Stage 2 Challengers.
Saadhak’s only failure in 2022 was at VTC Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen, but the loss that resulted in them finishing just 11th – 12th is easy to understand. The opponent was OpTic Gaming and the match happened in the Group Stage. Back then, LOUD was not yet seen as a formidable team that can’t just be thrown into the same group as OpTic.
Saadhak’s biggest accomplishment in 2022 was the trophy he won at VALORANT Champions, where he got revenge over OpTic Gaming in the Grand Final (3 – 1). This victory brought him worldwide fame as an IGL and turned his team into the number 1 Valorant competitor on the planet.
Whether or not they’ll be able to maintain this position, remains to be seen. What’s certain is that at this point, LOUD doesn’t seem to be interested in making any roster changes. Usually, after a great year, organizations are tempted to sell some of their most expensive players and just enjoy their profits.
But LOUD seem to be satisfied with what they have right now and what they’ve built for themselves in 2022. Next year, if the players prove to be as hungry as they were this season, LOUD could easily win at least one or two Masters.
5. Cryocells
Cryocells is a member of XSET and his contributions in 2022 have not gone unnoticed. Prior to joining this team, he played for SoaR and struggled to get important results. But as soon as he found a better roster, his talent started to finally shine.
In 2022, XSET managed to win 3 smaller tournaments and finish in the top 8 at two major ones: VTC Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen and VALORANT Champions.
Cryocells is the only member of XSET who was retained for the 2023 season. We don’t know yet who else will join the team, but if the new players are strong enough, he will probably do well next year.
Right now, XSET is one of the best teams in North America, second only to OpTic Gaming. It wouldn’t take much to solidify their position but a solid IGL must be found to achieve greatness.
Cryocells’ favorite Agents are Chamber and Jett. However, the player is versatile enough to play anything that suits his role within XSET.
Other Noteworthy Players
North America and South America are full of talented Valorant players because the regions have a strong foundation in FPS games. The Brazilians are quite famous in CS:GO and will soon compete at IEM Rio Major, while the North Americans have organizations that want to capitalize on the fact that Valorant might become one day the best and most famous FPS game in esports.
Some of the top American players who were not mentioned on this list are these:
- BcJ
- AYRIN
- Yay
- BABYBAY
- POISED
- Stellar
- Asuna
- Bang
- Vanity
- Mitch