The VALORANT Champions Tour in 2022 had stunning plotlines. This past year, VALORANT fans were treated to many hours of professional matches, from pivotal 1-vs-1s to game-winning ultimates.

We reflect on all the moments made in 2022 as we get ready for a franchised #VCT and another fiercely competitive season of Game Changers in 2023.

This year's professional VALORANT ups and downs were all experienced by us. Following careful consideration, these are our top five players for 2022.

MaKo

MaKo might not be the first name that springs to mind when you think of the Korean superpower VALORANT team DRX. How can a Viper player who skulks in the shadows be the best on the squad when showy players like Rb and BuZz fly about maps with ease as duelists and consistently top frag for their team?

MaKo joined the original Vision Strikers squad in 2021 and transitioned with them when they changed their name to DRX.

Actually, MaKo was the world's top Viper player in 2022. While some of his individual efforts were almost as showy as those of his colleagues, the instances in which his team was successful stick out in our memories as some of the best strategic plays from the previous year.

MaKo is incredibly knowledgeable on the use of Viper and how to get the most of it. MaKo appears to have mastered both hiding in the shadows and taking the initiative to carry out attacks, even though Viper is an agent noted for having a playstyle similar to the Sentinel.

MaKo's mental toughness was another asset he offered to the DRX roster in 2022. On the world VCT stage, he gripped up numerous times while maintaining his cool, composed demeanor.

MaKo will probably continue to be one of the Pacific region's most reliable players in 2023. In the Pacific league, DRX obtained what was probably a straightforward and predicted franchising place, and MaKo is still a team member despite his outstanding 2022 season.

Sonder

Going into 2022, Sonder and her Shopify Rebellion companions were well-known figures in the VCT Game Changers scene. And over the past year, they developed a reputation as the group that would always finish second behind Cloud9 White, who took home every North American Game Changers trophy.

But Shopify came through at just the right time, and sonder, who had been on point throughout the entire competition, played a significant role in that outstanding performance.

At the first-ever worldwide VCT Game Changers tournament in Berlin at the end of 2022, Shopify and Cloud9 White were scheduled to square off once more. The formerly routine encounter in North America suddenly took on greater significance as both sides had dropped to the lower bracket.

Shopify then responded. Sonder demonstrated she is among the top VALORANT players in the world on LAN even though the team ultimately lost to G2 Gozen in the Game Changers finals. Although she is a skilled player on online servers as well, this year's performance astounded VALORANT fans all around the world.

Mary

Mary, a 16-year-old teenage VALORANT prodigy, became well-known for her outstanding performance in VCT Game Changers alongside G2 Gozen from EMEA.

After its longstanding captain zAAz departed in the middle of 2022, Mary, who is originally from Bahrain, joined the squad that is based in Germany. ZAAz, a veteran of 31 years, left, giving Mary the chance to take the lead.

Mary not only stepped up to the plate at the age of only sixteen, the minimal age required to even play in VCT, but also entered the very competitive Game Changers scene halfway through the already rigorous season for G2. She displayed her talent on Chamber, remaining calm while dominating with precise shots and cunning teleports.

She also played a significant role in G2's reverse sweep that allowed them to remove Shopify from the Game Changers championship match with the trophy still in their possession.

Mary's 2022 came to a close with her taking the first-ever Game Changers Championship trophy and standing on stage in Berlin. She has a contract with G2 Gozen through 2023 and frequently streams on Twitch.

Aspas

The duelist of choice for the 2022 VCT Champions LOUD was Aspas. This year's Brazilian VALORANT scene was driven by them, and o nce they defeated North America's OpTic in the VCT final, they were assured of their place in history thanks to their fervent fan base and talented players.

Each game in Berlin saw Aspas enter the arena carrying a fresh dog plushie, a representation of the team's triumphs on the way to winning the championship.

He excels against duelists and plays with an aggressive yet calculated style. He is a formidable opponent at a distance and up close, and although frequently losing to his opponents, he nevertheless has a significant impact on any server he joins.

Aspas will remain in place even though other members of the LOUD roster had left before 2023, most notably initiator player Sacy joining Sentinels.

Yay

In terms of individual performances in 2022, yay must come in first. And although if OpTic's finest performance in the previous season occurred in the first few months of the year, some of those instances are simply too great to be overlooked when we review the VCT season.

The pressure OpTic faced in the second part of the year wasn't a result of them being poorer, but rather the improvement of the teams around them, despite the fact that they came in a dismal second place to their old rivals LOUD at the conclusion of the 2022 VCT. OpTic began to face competition from other fiercely competitive teams in their home continent who appeared to have adapted aspects of their wildly successful playstyle. Giving Yay enough time and space to work his magic, whether on Chamber or Jett, was a key component of this playstyle.

Until the first big nerfs by Chamber, yes was unbeatable on the agent. Even as the agent started to lose some of his power, yay continued to play Chamber the majority of the time. This tactic was successful for OpTic, and after OpTic was denied a franchise spot at the end of the 2022 VCT season, yay was one of, if not the hottest VALORANT players available.

Yay joined the VALORANT team of Cloud9 in October of the previous year. Fans expect for another year of gameplay as yay must negotiate the new meta that appears to be developing as he will be playing in 2023 with Cloud9.