VALORANT Champions is currently in the group stage, and one team has already crushed the dreams of most VCT fans hoping for perfect Pick’Ems.
After China’s disappointing run back at Masters Shanghai, VCT fans were doubtful of the region’s four teams heading into Champions. Group C, for example, seemed like it would be an uphill battle for China’s Trace Esports to come out on top above the likes of Leviatán with two world champs in aspas and C0M. Fast forward to today: Trace not only defeated Leviatán, but also secured the first-place spot in Group C, meaning the Chinese squad is already qualified for the playoffs stage. Few VALORANT players could have predicted this outcome.
In fact, Riot confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that only 3.2 percent of the VCT community’s Pick’Ems put Trace Esports in that first-place spot for Group C. So if you were hoping to earn one of VALORANT’s rarest items with perfect Pick’Ems, that dream is already dead—unless you were among the 3.2 percent who believed in Trace. And even if you did put the Chinese team at the top of Group C, the rest of your Pick’Ems would have to be spot-on with everything else happening at the international event to keep the dream alive, including the playoffs stage.
With Trace Esports single-handedly cutting 96.8 percent of fans out of the picture for perfect Pick’Ems, it’s possible no one will walk away with the coveted “100%” title by the end of Champions. But on the bright side, we could be in for a nice underdog story for VCT’s most underestimated region. In the current standings, Trace is the only Chinese team guaranteed for playoffs, with EDWARD Gaming also still in the running if they win their next match. Bilibili and FPX have both been eliminated from their groups.
Luckily for VCT fans, there will be a fresh batch of Pick’Ems to select after the group stage wraps up and before playoffs begin. So even if you doubted Trace for your group stage Pick’Ems, you can jump ship and support them moving forward. After all, defeating a powerhouse team like Leviatán was no easy feat. It’ll be interesting to see what the VALORANT community’s Pick’Ems look like for playoffs based on all the twists and turns we’ve been witnessing in the group stage so far.
