Why Europe’s titan slayers are primed to dominate Valorant Masters

Ava Thompson-Powell
Heretics Valorant Champions Tour Masters

Valorant Masters is just around the corner, and there are plenty of teams aiming to make their mark within the competition. However, after an insane First Strike victory, there’s one team that’s undoubtedly one to watch.

Team Heretics shocked the world with their incredible First Strike victory, and Christian ‘lowel’ Garcia Antoran and co are the team to beat in Europe heading into Valorant Masters.

Yet to drop a best-of-three as a core, there is a definite target on their backs, with new roster addition Ruben ‘RUBINO’ Villarroel being integral in fending off those hungry for their title as regional champions. Kirill ‘ANGE1’ Karasiow’s FunPlus Phoenix is arguably their biggest threat, though, as they’ve been far more dominant following the addition of Dmitriy ‘dimasick’ Matvienko.

With Heretics having taking down the previously untouchable G2, as well as Fanatic and Team Liquid, it’s hard to not rank the team amongst the best. With lowel as captain, the team has a deadly strategic and methodical approach to elevating their game – but that’s not all.

Žygimantas ‘nukkye’ Chmieliauskas shines as Raze, too. With a 50-streak kill score against OG in the Masters Qualifiers match, his talent blew his competitors out of the water.

Ultimately, the team has a creative and adaptable ability to think on the fly in response to their opposition. Going forward, whichever teams they face – that team will need to be quick to react to stand their ground.


For all Valorant Champions Tour news, head over to our dedicated hub.

About The Author

Ava was formerly Dexerto's Evergreen Editor, based in England. With a BA (Hons) in Media and Communications, and a passion for RPGs, The Sims, Pokemon, and Dead by Daylight, she primarily covered tips, guides, and reviews.