Top 10 most iconic VALORANT esports moments in history

Rituraj Halder Published September 2, 2026

Even though VALORANT was released only six years ago, it has already secured its place as a premier esports title in the competitive shooter space. In such a short span, the VALORANT esports scene has witnessed some of the craziest plays in professional gaming history.

In the following article, we have shared some of the most memorable and iconic moments in the history of VALORANT’s esports scene. Many of these moments were big upsets, which shook up the matches from a VALORANT betting perspective. 

10) Lakia’s Ascent Clutch (Masters 2 Reykjavik, 2021) 

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Before South Korea was recognized as a global juggernaut in the game, NUTURN Gaming traveled to the first-ever international LAN as massive underdogs when taking a look at the VALORANT stats. Facing Version1 in the upper bracket semifinals on Ascent, Kim “Lakia” Jong-min found himself all alone in a tense 1v2 post-plant scenario. 

Performing two on-point shots in succession, Lakia single-handedly secured the map and set up NUTURN for a third-place finish, securing one of the first milestones in South Korea’s ascent to VALORANT glory. 

9) Chronicle’s B-Site Ace (Valorant Champions, 2021) 

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During the inaugural Champions event, Gambit Esports’ Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov delivered arguably some of the cleanest mechanical skills in the game’s early lifecycle.

While holding the defense in the B-site of Bind against a full, aggressive five-man push from KRÜ Esports, Chronicle refused to leave his ground.

Holding his angle like a sentinel, he systematically tapped down all five attackers one by one, executing a legendary ace that pushed Gambit through the semifinal and into the grand finals.

8) Hiko’s 1v3 Sova Clutch vs. Gambit (Masters 3 Berlin, 2021) 

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Known as one of the most iconic clutches by a North American team in VALORANT history, 100 Thieves’ Spencer “Hiko” Martin authored a legendary comeback sequence against Gambit.

Facing an 11-3 deficit on Icebox, the veteran Sova anchor clutched an impressive 1v3 retake and defuse using nothing but raw positional awareness. 

The play completely broke Gambit’s form, fueling a 10-round win streak that lifted 100 Thieves to a 13-11 victory and helped them top their group stage.

7) The rise of ZETA DIVISION (Masters 1 Reykjavik, 2022) 

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Historically considered the weakest major region, Japan’s ZETA DIVISION witnessed a textbook Cinderella story back in 2022. After losing devastatingly to DRX early on, ZETA executed a miraculous lower bracket run. 

The climax arrived when they faced DRX in a rematch, backed by unprecedented domestic viewership numbers. ZETA knocked out the Korean juggernauts, securing Japanese VALORANT on the map.

6) Crashies’ 5 HP Sheriff Miracle (Masters 3 Berlin, 2021) 

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Before the Envy roster later became OpTic Gaming, Austin “crashies” Roberts hit the clip that initiated their rise. Trapped on Icebox with a meager 5 HP and a baseline Sheriff, Crashies single-handedly out-dueled three fully armed Vivo Keyd players. 

The ridiculous mechanical play reversed the map’s structural momentum, resulting in an overtime victory that sent Envy down the path to the grand finals.

5) Txozin Cuts the Cord (VCT Americas, 2023) 

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In one of the most bizarre yet highly impactful moments in VCT history, a match where neither team was playing for their own playoff lives decided an entire tournament lifecycle. MIBR was taking on 100 Thieves, a match that Evil Geniuses needed MIBR to win to sneak into the playoffs. 

In the final round of regulation, MIBR’s substitute André “Txozin” Saidel pulled off a desperate knife kill against a defusing player to win the map. The round saved Evil Geniuses from elimination, setting up the most absurd underdog story in esports history.

4) Marved’s “I’m the Best” Frenzy Hold (Champions, 2022) 

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During the lower-bracket finals of Champions 2022, OpTic Gaming was locked in an absolute dogfight against a surging DRX roster on Fracture. With the economy shattered, Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen pulled off an incredible underpass lurk toward the B-site, holding only a Frenzy.

He proceeded to hit three decisive kills from behind into the DRX roster, utterly shutting down the execution and securing a legendary “Thrifty” round. Marved’s cold-blooded play broke the opponent’s momentum, making it one of the most iconic moments in the game’s history.

3) The overtime ascent to glory (Masters 2 Reykjavik, 2021) 

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The final map of the game’s first global LAN featured Fnatic pushing Sentinels to the absolute limit on Haven. While Fnatic fought relentlessly to extend the series, the grand final ultimately came down to execution under pressure rather than mistakes.

Capitalizing on precision entry paths, Sentinels’ Tyson “TenZ” Ngo and his squad shut down Fnatic’s defensive holds to lock in a 13-11 victory, securing the title and initiating the legendary “Sentinels Era” of early 2021.

2) Fnatic’s Historic 3-11 LOCK//IN Comeback (LOCK//IN, 2023) 

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Playing in a hostile Arena in São Paulo against hometown heroes LOUD, Fnatic found themselves facing an insurmountable 3-11 deficit on the final map, Icebox. With the Brazilian crowd already celebrating LOUD’s victory, Boaster and Leo “Leo” Jannesson orchestrated a flawless, ice-cold defensive execution. 

Winning nine consecutive rounds to drag the match to overtime, Fnatic completed the greatest reverse-comeback in international finals history, silencing the arena.

1) Demon1’s Grand Finals Masterclass (Valorant Champions, 2023) 

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The absolute pinnacle of individual VCT dominance belongs to Max “Demon1” Mazanov during the Champions 2023 Grand Finals against Paper Rex. Across four relentless maps, the Evil Geniuses rookie hit an unprecedented level of mechanical skill. 

Dodging flashes and crossfires with extreme calm, Demon1 delivered a tournament MVP performance, executing cross-map flick headshots that completely shattered PRX’s aggressive playstyle, crowning Evil Geniuses as world champions.

Featured image credit: Riot Games