Challengers EMEA Weekly Recap: All of the Action (Jan 8-17)

Jan 19, 2023

There are some familiar faces across each league, but also swathes of new ones, eager to topple the teams that have become regional titans. As the weeks progress we’ll keep you up to date with all of the latest information on each region, but for now, here’s what has gone down so far.

DACH: Evolution

DACH: Evolution sees some familiar faces return to duke it out for the grand prize. Angry Titans, MOUZ, Ovation eSports, and ALTERNATE aTTaX are joined by League of Legends favorites Unicorns of Love, as well as CGN Esports, TBD, and AEX-1.

It’s CGN Esports currently leading the charge, taking down Angry Titans and TBD with two dominant 2-0’s. Unicorns of Love are just behind them, and given that the two will meet next week, we expect that the leaderboard will undergo quite a shakeup.

East: Surge

East: Surge is one of the strongest leagues, featuring favorites such as the VCT Champions 2021 winners, Acend, and regional heroes Anonymo Esports. At the moment the former champions are out in front, leading 3-1 alongside ENTERPRISE Esports and Cyber Wolves Esports. Whilst Acend started off strong, the representatives of the Ukrainian organization B8 Esports dismantled them on Icebox, where the team only managed to snatch back three rounds.

ENTERPRISE Esports are currently above Anonymo Esports after losing a tight game on Ascent against the Polish team. They’ve gone on to conquer everyone else who has dared step in their way, ending the week on a 3-game winning streak. One of the teams they took down was fellow frontrunner Cyber Wolves Esports, but that doesn’t mean that these beasts won’t come back to bite them later.

France: Revolution

With Karmine Corp and Team Vitality heading to Brazil for LOCK//IN, France: Revolution will see a plethora of fresh faces duking it out for the title. At the moment, Zerance has surged ahead of their competitors, winning all four so far through close-fought games.

3DMAX and BLX UTD have struggled to find their feet as of yet and will face off next, with one walking away victorious. Who will that be? We’ll have to wait and see, but either way both squads have a point to prove.

Northern Europe: Polaris

Easily the region with the most amusing names, Northern Europe: Polaris has kicked off with a bang, with newcomers Apeks, BONK, and Les Petit Bouffons joining FOKUS at the top end of the table.

FOKUS will face off against Apeks next week in our first clash of Northern Europe’s top teams so far. Will the newer team be able to topple the veterans? Only time will tell, but it’ll hopefully be a banger.

Portugal: Tempest

A nation renowned for its passion for all things esports, Portugal’s entry gives some of the region’s finest teams a newly dedicated stage for the chance of Challengers glory. At the moment SAW and Vikings Fourteen are out in front, completing their first ever week in the spotlight without dropping a game.

SAW came out of the gates swinging, demolishing FTW Esports and EX0TIK GAMING, with the latter only taking a single round. Vikings Fourteen also asserted their dominance, and while they haven’t had a SAW-style convincing win so far, they’ve shown that they’re one to watch.

Spain: Rising

Spain: Rising has also kicked off with the fire and passion so synonymous with its community. KPI Gaming, Team Queso, and Rebels Gaming sit at the top of the scoreboard, with Rebels Gaming maintaining its fearsome reputation from last year. 

Case Esports and Falcons remain hot on their heels though, unfortunately leaving newcomers Ramboot in the dust without a single win to their name. We’ve seen black sheep surge to the top of the pack before, however, and if there’s one region that’s characterized by upsets, it’s Spain.

Türkiye: Birlik

While Papara SuperMassive may have dropped the ‘Blaze’ from their name, they remain one of the region’s premier VALORANT squads, soaring to the top of the leaderboard alongside longtime rivals Fire Flux Esports and Fenerbahçe Espor. 

Many teams have only played one game so far, with IF Parla Esports sitting middle of the back after a single win and loss, the latter received by the former home of Toprak "lauress" Kaynak and Volkan "sociablEE" Yönal, Fire Flux Esports. Hopefully, they’ll be able to catch up to Türkiye’s resident trail blazers, but at the moment it’s anyone’s game.

Italy: Rinascimento and MENA: Resilience

The Italy and MENA Challengers Leagues will be starting on January 21st and 28th respectively, stay tuned!