Envy Should Not Be Slept On - Five Takeaways From Pop Flash
Pop Flash was the best event run in VALORANT esports to date. There, we said what you all were thinking. From the tournament formatting to the teams invited to the level of play on display, Pop Flash has been a showcase of VALORANT’s inherent potential as a tier-one esport. Storylines like Cloud9’s agent shuffle which netted them positive results, Team Envy not only continuing to fly under the radar, but they perform well above expectations, and TSM, well, falling flatter than bread with dead yeast, and that’s just the start of it. From the entrance of promising rookie talent to the exit of established tenured talent, these are the biggest takeaways from Pop Flash.
1. Dignitas Shows Up Big
Queue up the laugh track because the first team on the docket cannot be anyone else but Dignitas. Debuting their full roster at Pop Flash, this was a team that was a gigantic question mark coming into the event. Not only because we had no clue who they were going to sign, but how their eventual core would stack up against some of the top teams. Homeless did look very solid, but changing one player can make or break a team, and in this case, it looked like it made the team.
Dignitas toppling TSM, not once, but twice to knock them out of playoff contention has seemingly bred a new rivalry in the North American VALORANT scene. On top of that, you have consistent performers like Harrison "psalm" Chang and Phat "supamen" Le showing up in every game. However, there is one person that has to be highlighted not only for their infectious laugh, but their in-game performance, and that is Ryan "Shanks" Ngo. His aggressive Jett both cracked open defences and became the spearhead for a number of clutch attacking round for Dignitas. Shanks has shown this event that he alongside Dignitas is a recipe for success, that said, can they keep up the energy and maintain the hype? If they can, Dignitas is sure to become a problem for the pantheon of top VALORANT squads.
2. TSM Deflate
When looking statistically at TSM's performance at Pop Flash, it is a safe assumption to hold that this top team had a bad event, which is something that is and will happen with this game in the future. That said, this is the start of the fall if TSM does not tighten up. When looking at their best performances and comparing their brute force and highly mechanical style towards teams much more utility-focused like a Sentinels or like a Team Envy, who are also teams that can match them mechanically, you start to see the problem. TSM are flat-footed and now sit where Cloud9 have set for a while now. Your superstar can only take you so far, and something has to change. Again, we will give both teams the same credit, this isn't a declaration or demand of roster changes, but something has stopped the gears from spinning properly. Admittedly, this is also exemplified by the fact that TSM, by and large, underperformed across the board.
Whether or not that is a symptom of systemic or stylistic problems is up for questioning. That said, there is a trend with certain teams that seems to be much more reliable. How TSM will choose to deal with that question will be interesting to view as time goes on, but whatever side of the debate you fall on, we have to say that Pop Flash has only added evidence to the idea that TSM has to switch something up to keep their seat as title contenders.
They undoubtedly have the firepower and veteran potential to be a world-class team, but as more and more talented rosters are formed, all with their own unique and individualistic style, how will TSM adapt to the rising tide? That has been the big question watching TSM lose convincingly to Dignitas and fail at making it out of groups. This is a fantastic group of guys who can be one of the best teams in the world, that goes without saying, but something doesn't sit right after this event.
3. Cloud9 Switch Up And Succeed
Cloud9 came into Pop Flash full of potential and looking to level up, and while it's difficult to say if they've evolved, it is clear that changes have been made. Moving Mitch "mitch" Semago, the team's consistent secondary threat has been a success by and large. This frees up TenZ to move to other roles and doesn't hamstring the team if they need or want an OP. Now TenZ can entry without hindering his team. Now TenZ can secondary OP if he so chooses to. Now TenZ can fully utilise his flexibility to support the team where it's needed, perhaps even mid-round. Giving mitch the keys to his own car instead of having him stand behind the team's star player is a move in the right direction, and we saw that this weekend.
We saw a team that showed signs of stagnation flip the script at Pop Flash. Cloud9 showed flexibility and a willingness to change or add structure to an inherently promising team. Is this the end of the road for Cloud9, of course it isn't, but their performance should have everyone excited for the future. This is a team that has potential, is led well, and can become a contender, but they also need to be granted the time to do so. VALORANT is not a game that can be viewed event by event, and we're going to have to test Cloud9's changes across several events. That being said, the switch-up was pleasant to see, and projections seem to be trending upward for Cloud9 moving forward.
4. Sentinels Dominate
It is hard to argue at this point that Sentinels are not the clear leaders of North America. Going into the event, it could be viewed as a two-way tie for first, but with how dominant Sentinels looked across the entire event. They hold a positive track record against the very best North America has to off, they hold an impressive win rate across the majority of the map pool, and most impressively, they are the shining example of how VALORANT will be played in the future. This game will be dominated by finding consistent value with your selected agent's utility, and they will ask you to find consistent value with your ultimates, can you name a better team than the Sentinels at both of these facts?
Jay "sinatraa" Won showcasing what can be done with Recon Bolt and Sova's ultimate, paired with his prowess on Phoenix and Raze and you've covered some of the games most important heroes. Combine that with talent like Hunter "SicK" Mims and Shahzeeb "ShahZaM" Khan and not only do you have mechanical firepower but two other weapons that Sentinels can consistently rely on in the clutch. Sentinels are the team with full grasp of VALORANT as a game, not only is it about abusing information to the fullest extent, not only is it about mechanically beating your opponents aim. It certainly isn't just winging out spells like a keeper clearing the football; it's a combination of all three schools of thought balanced together.
5. Team Envy Shock At Silver
Last but certainly not least we have our silver medalists, Team Envy, who finally put themselves on people's radars. With veterans of tactical FPS tossed about in their roster, it was a matter of time before things clicked. It's difficult to prescribe why Team Envy are this way, odds are it has something to do with Pujan "FNS" Mehta, but this is a team that feels the most methodical and cerebral out of all the teams in the North American VALORANT scene currently. Their back and forth in the final against Sentinels on top of their creative composition really drives home the unique style of play that Team Envy brings to the table.
Take for example their set default defence on Haven A. Their Killjoy gives Pheonix their Alarm Bot to use as bait to find guaranteed flashes and placing her turret on the A Short angle. The site is on lockdown while their Cypher can play across the map and disincentives the attacking team from coming that direct. The macro gameplay from Team Envy is at a new level. Now, with that said, that doesn't mean they somehow are overcompensating for weak mechanics.
One criticism that could be levied against Team Envy across their last few events has been their consistency. Dropping games to Gen.G isn’t the smoking gun, but if Envy wants to be considered a top team, which they 100% have the potential to be, they have to have similar, repeat performances at future events.
Images via Riot Games
