Between the 6th and the 26th of August, VALORANT Champions 2023 will unravel, with 16 of the world’s top teams taking to grand stages in Los Angeles. It’s only the third VALORANT Champs tournament in history, with last year’s trophy being claimed by LOUD, and the first year’s trophy being handed to Acend. There’s a huge prize pool to play for and some staggering bragging rights, and now, the roster of teams competing has been locked in and their respective groups have been confirmed.

It’ll be as traditional an esports tournament as you could imagine, with the opening Group Stage being followed up by the Playoffs that determine which team will be crowned the ultimate victor. On the 26th of August, live in Los Angeles, your next VALORANT world champion will be crowned.

Are you excited?

Ever Improving

Who will lift the trophy this year? (Image Credit: Riot Games)

Since debuting in 2020, VALORANT has been on a steady rise in the esports space, becoming increasingly popular over time and scalping a few CSGO fans on the way up. Of course, there are expectations that that might change in the near future with the imminent release of Counter-Strike 2, but not by much. As both viewership and player numbers increase for VALORANT, the future is looking increasingly bright.

In the run-up to VALORANT Champs, we’ve seen some stunning action from the teams involved. Most recently, KRU Esports secured a shock run through the LCQ in the Americas, embarking on a brief journey that nobody thought possible. It was a beautiful thing, with KRU taking on and defeating MIBR, FURIA, Leviatán, and Cloud9, which just so happened to be the team with the highest expectations.

There’s also Fnatic, hellbent on winning every VALORANT trophy possible after losing just one match all year. We can also look at LOUD, the reigning champion and constant momentum machine with a trophy to protect during this event. Other teams, like Bilibili Gaming, have a lot to prove. It’s the Chinese squad’s first attendance to VALORANT Champions, and there’s a lot on the line.

Confirmed VCT Teams and Groups

So, as promised, here are the teams stepping up to compete at VALORANT Champions 2023 and the respective groups that they’ve been shepherded into.

Group A

Paper Rex
KRU Esports
EDward Gaming
Giants

Group B

Evil Geniuses
FunPlus Phoenix
FUT Esports
T1

Group C

Fnatic
ZETA DIVISION
NRG
Bilibili Gaming

Group D

Team Liquid
Natus Vincere
DRX
LOUD

There are some tasty groups there – especially Group D. That’s an intense melting pot of undeniable talent and consistency, but there are key spots to watch elsewhere. For instance, newcomers Bilibili Gaming will be going up against the most unstoppable team in VALORANT esports right now – Fnatic. That’s an invitation to some lower momentum, so could we see Bilibili Gaming fail to even make it through the Group Stage?

It all begins on August 6th in Los Angeles, and at the moment, our money (if we’re talking VALORANT betting) is on Fnatic.