The best Valorant players are a testament to how popular the game has become. Valorant is one of the most hyped games of today, boasting a growing esports scene with some of the top teams.
Within just a few years, Valorant took over the first-person shooter genre and overshadowed similar titles such as CS:GO, Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Rainbow Six Siege.
Riot Games struck gold with Valorant, and they’re actively investing in the game to expand its esports ecosystem. Consequently, the Valorant Champions Tour attracts the cream of the crop in the gaming world. Many have switched games to compete in this arena and to establish their legacy.
Here we’ve decided to take a look at some of the best Valorant players going into the 2023 season. We’ll briefly cover their professional background and then focus on their role in the team and their strengths and weaknesses. Our list will also answer the question of ‘Who is the best Valorant player in the world?’
The 10 Best Valorant Players
Who is the best VALORANT player? Understanding who is the absolute best VALORANT player is not easy, but below you find our ranking:
| Rank | Alias | Player Name | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1# | Derke | Nikita Sirmitev | Fnatic |
| 🥈 2# | aspas | Erick Santos | LOUD |
| 🥉 3# | Chronicle | Timofey Khromov | Fnatic |
| 🏅 4# | d4v41 | Khalish Rusyaidee | Paper Rex |
| 🏅 5# | Leo | Leo Jannesson | Fnatic |
| 🏅 6# | MaKo | Myeongkwan Kim | DRX VS |
| 🏅 7# | kiNgg | Francisco Aravena | Leviatan |
| 🏅 8# | Jamppi | Elias Olkkonen | Team Liquid |
| 🏅 9# | nAts | Ayaz Akhmetshin | Team Liquid |
| 🏅 10# | MrFalin | Furkan Yeğen | FUT Esports |
The first seasons of 2023, where the partnership system was tested in the ecosystem for the first time, have ended. After the matches played in VCT EMEA, Americas and Pacific, the champions were determined. We saw many teams, who were the favorites on paper, come to the end of the road, some lifting the trophy while others had to settle for second place. The unexpected happened with the players.
With old faces returning to the stage in brand-new uniforms and players continuing their old journey, the rankings have changed a bit. As we move towards one of the most important VALORANT tournaments, Masters Tokyo, here is our list of the top 10 VALORANT players of 2023.
1. Derke
Image Credit: Riot Games
In 2023, Fnatic is undoubtedly the most remarkable team. The great squad they assembled at the start of the new season has managed to go on a long winning streak, first in the first international tournament LOCK/IN and then in the VCT 2023 – EMEA League. Key to this success was the young Duelist Derke.
Derke, who has been delivering quality performances since he entered the scene, has shown us that he has risen to the next level as a player with the experience he has gained. Especially with the help of his teammates, he took the league by storm. The young player finished the league with a 1.27 Rating and led his team to the first Masters tournament of the year.
2. aspas
Image Credit: Riot Games
LOUD, the champions of VALORANT Champions 2022, lost two big names to Sentinels at the beginning of the season. The team’s captain Sacy and pANcada were transferred to the Brazilian rival, raising questions about the team. Aspas and his new teammates started the season with a brand new challenge.
LOUD cleared the question marks one by one from the beginning of the season and Aspas had the biggest share in doing so. Picking up where he left off last year, the Duelist player took over the leadership of the team and had a spectacular VCT 2023 – Americas. The player led the league with 246.7 ACS and led his team to the championship, being one of the best players.
3. Chronicle
Image Credit: Riot Games
It’s true that Fnatic has assembled a star-studded pre-season, but if there was one name that stood out amongst all these stars, it was Chronicle. The Russian player, who impressed everyone with his performances for Gambit Esports in the past years, had no trouble adjusting to his new team.
With no problems adjusting to the roster, Chronicle continued to take the EMEA league by storm. Despite taking on more defensive and supporting roles than many of the players on the roster, his sharp aim and high game intelligence allowed him to keep up with the Duelist players in the stats. He finished the first season of the league with a 1.25 Rating and 81.4% KAST, placing him on the list of the best VALORANT players.
4. d4v41
Image Credit: Riot Games
d4v41 has been wearing the Paper Rex jersey since his debut on the VALORANT scene. The 24-year-old has played a big part in all of his team’s successes, with one of his golden years coming in the first semester of 2023. The transition to the partner system has maximized the competition in the Pacific league and the Malaysian has been able to show his teeth against all of his rivals.
He is the team’s go-to Initiator and Sentinel, and while he is sometimes overshadowed by the star players on the roster, he always manages to work in the shadows and make a big contribution. d4v41 saved the team when the stars were having bad days, finishing the tournament with a 1.16 Rating and leading his team to the championship.
5. Leo
Image Credit: Riot Games
Fnatic has had an almost flawless 5 months, with many of their players finding a place in the list of the best VALORANT players. Former Guild Esports player Leo also had a top 10 performance. Leo, who managed to make his name at the top with his tremendous Initiator performance with his former team last year, continued his streak in the new season.
In addition to his command of the agents in the meta, he is a player that every team would want with his game vision, composure in clutch moments and frag contribution. With a KAST of 84.2%, Leo’s ability to shine individually in team play deserves appreciation.
Read Also: Valorant Competitive Maps
6. MaKo
Image Credit: Riot Games
MaKo, Controller for DRX VS, South Korea’s hopes in the VCT 2023 – Pacific league, is one of the few players who can take on this role and still manage such high stats. This ability makes him indispensable for his team and a nuisance for his opponents.
DRX VS lost the championship to Paper Rex with a score of 3-2 in the first split of the league. In the final series, he was one of his team’s survivors, but was unable to secure the victory. However, he shined throughout the season with an ACS of 212.2 and a success percentage in clutch moments.
7. kiNgg
Image Credit: Riot Games
In VCT 2023 – Americas, there was one name that was frequently mentioned. One of the oldest members of Leviatán and captain of the team, kiNgg did his best to steer his ship to shore throughout the season. Even in the games his team lost, he managed to stay afloat and is among the best in the world in the role of Initiator.
The captain managed to lead his team to the playoffs in his first season with a 1.13 Rating, but an unexpected loss to FURIA led to an early exit from the tournament. There is no doubt that we will see his name often in the coming seasons.
8. Jamppi
Image Credit: Riot Games
Jamppi, one of the most underrated players in the VALORANT scene, showed once again just how good of a player he is. As one of the two remaining players from the old Liquid roster, the youngster showed his usual high level of play while hosting his new teammates.
Liquid had a shaky start to the season due to the disadvantages of being a new roster. Until they found the right team chemistry, Jamppi played with 6 different agents throughout the split. He did whatever the team needed him to do, finishing the first split with 207.6 ACS and leading his team to the championship.
9. nAts
Image Credit: Riot Games
After Gambit Esports was not included in the partnership system and subsequently disbanded, Russian star nAts joined Liquid in early 2023. Structuring his team in a similar fashion to Fnatic, the European powerhouse was happy to add one of the region’s best Sentinel players.
The start of the season was not very productive for nAts. Both the team’s lack of a settled game and nAts’ poor performance from last season delayed the team from finding itself. Towards the end of VCT 2023 – EMEA Split 1, the 20-year-old started to have games reminiscent of his old days. When the playoffs came, he became an unstoppable force and finished the season with a 1.23 K/D ratio.
10. MrFaliN
Image Credit: Riot Games
One of the biggest surprises of 2023 was Turkish representative FUT Esports. Last year’s VRL 2022: Finals champion has joined the region’s giants this year. At the beginning of the season, most people in the community did not foresee that FUT would be so successful. One of the biggest names behind this success is MrFalin, the team’s in-game leader.
Originally an Initiator player, MrFaliN took on the IGL role in the middle of last year when the team needed him. Since then, he has evolved into a completely different player and has maximized his efficiency. Thanks to his decision-making and scoring contribution, FUT Esports punched their ticket to Masters Tokyo.
Thanks for reading our top Valorant players list
This has been our top 10 list of the best Valorant players in 2023. Stay tuned for more news and reviews if you’re searching for the best Valorant odds. Additionally, keep an eye out for all things related to Valorant betting.
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