VALORANT 5 Best Flex Players of VCT 2023

Here are our picks for Valorant’s 5 best flex players of the VCT 2023 season

In Valorant, flex players take on a thankless yet indispensable role. They're the unsung heroes who adapt to different agents, often operating in the shadows while the spotlight shines on teammates with more specialized roles. 

Despite this lack of recognition, the significance of the flex player cannot be overstated. When a player is able to transition between roles on different maps seamlessly, the team's chances for success are significantly heightened. Hence, we see that the majority of the currently accomplished rosters have at least one member dedicated to the flex role.

Throughout the Valorant Champions 2023, we've had the privilege of witnessing some truly extraordinary performances from the flex players. Notably, all of the top four teams in this prestigious event have a player on the flex role who acts as the linchpin for their respective squads. As we approach the final stage of the Champions 2023, take a moment to check out our picks for the top 5 best flex players of VCT 2023, along with their performance statistics from the past three months.

What is the Role of Flex Players on a Team?

Before delving into the list of VCT 2023's top flex players, let us explain the flex role. Flex players can be attributed as fill. It is an individual capable of consistently delivering top-tier performance across multiple agents. This versatility not only enables other players to specialize more but also permits adaptation of the team composition and playstyle according to the flex’s agent pick.

5. Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao- EDward Gaming

• Roles Played: Initiator, Duelist, Sentinel
• Total Agents Played: 6 
• VLR Rating: 1.01
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 199.7
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.09
• Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 73%
• Average Damage Per Round: 132.6

From setting up the duelist’s entry to taking entry himself as a duelist, Smoggy can do it all. EDward Gaming’s primary duelist, ZmjjKK, often has all the spotlight to himself for his flashy plays on the server. However, in many maps, Smoggy takes up the mantle of the duelist role and delivers performances equally impressive as those of his teammate, KangKang.

THAT WAS UNREAL! @SmoggyO_o #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/acyW226PlA

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 20, 2023

While his entries as a duelist are remarkable, the 21-year-old’s clutch potential and skills as an initiator are equally awe-inspiring. Playing support agents such as Breach, KAYO, and Killjoy, we witnessed some of the best plays in the tournament at the hands of this young Chinese sensation. Even in the EDG’s last Champions 2023 match against LOUD, although it ultimately could not prevent elimination, Smoggy turned a number of rounds single-handedly while playing breach.

4. Victor “Victor” Wong- NRG Esports

• Roles Played: Initiator, Duelist, Sentinel
• Total Agents Played: 4
• VLR Rating: 1.08
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 216.0
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.08
• Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 73%
• Average Damage Per Round: 140.9

From EnVy to Optic, and now with NRG, Victor proved to be the backbone of every roster he has been a part of. Much of NRG's core success can be directly attributed to Victor's remarkable flexibility in adapting to various roles. While his most frequently played agent is Killjoy, when Raze is called for in specific maps, Victor assumes the duelist role, allowing ardiis to take on Sentinel responsibilities. However, it's worth noting that Victor's contributions aren't confined solely to Killjoy and Raze; in the VCT 2023 season, we saw him in four different agents in total.

The magnitude of how good of a flex player he is can be understood if we look at his agent pool during the Americas League. In accordance with his team's requirements, the American temporarily assumed the role of the primary duelist and even started playing Jett, an agent with which he had limited prior experience at the top level. Even then, the 26-year-old showed incredible consistency. In Valorant Champions 2023, despite his team's overall lackluster showing, Victor stood as the solitary standout performer, carrying the weight of his squad.

3. Goo “Rb” Sang-min- DRX

• Roles Played: Sentinel, Initiator, Duelist, Controller
• Total Agents Played: 9
• VLR Rating: 0.95
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 189.9
• Kill-Death Ratio: 0.96
• Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 70%
• Average Damage Per Round: 126.0

Rb is relatively new to the flex role compared to the others on the list. However, suggesting that he doesn't rightfully belong here would be inaccurate. This Korean talent started his career as a duelist before transitioning into the more defensive Sentinel role. Now, Rb has made himself far more flexible, expanding his agent repertoire significantly. Alongside his regular Killjoy, he now plays a diverse array of agents encompassing various roles, including Yoru, KAYO, Neon and more.

Rb’s mastery of a wide range of agents was demonstrated clearly during the Valorant Champions 2023. Despite DRX once again falling short of securing the trophy, it was Rb's clutches and his performance as a team player that helped them finish top 6.

2. Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto- Paper Rex

• Roles Played: Sentinel, Initiator, Duelist, Controller
• Total Agents Played: 4
• VLR Rating: 1.00
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 210.7
• Kill-Death Ratio: 0.99
• Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 72%
• Average Damage Per Round: 139.9

f0rsaken forsook the duelist role in favor of Ilya “something” Petrov after the latter was added to the roster replacing the former IGL, Benedict “Benkai” Tan. However, this role shift caused quite a ruffle in the community given f0rsaken's already proven prowess as a duelist and something's relative inexperience at the highest competitive level. Nevertheless, the outcome ultimately proved to be a stroke of brilliance for Paper Rex as both players shone brighter than expected in their new roles.

While there was never any doubt about f0rsaken being a world-class player, nobody really expected him to be this good at his new role. In the last three months of the current season, the Indonesian superstar has played a total of 8 agents, that too with an Average Combat Score of over 200. The fact that Paper Rex are on the verge of making their 2nd consecutive Champions final appearance owes much to the extraordinary contributions of the 19-year-old prodigy.

1. Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov- FNATIC

Image Source: Riot Games

• Roles Played: Controler, Initiator
• Total Agents Played: 3
• VLR Rating: 1.1
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 197.4
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.07
• Kill/Assist/Survided/Traded: 76%
• Average Damage Per Round: 126.5

The number 1 on our list is the most obvious choice. FNATIC’s Chronicle is literally the face of the flex role. Chronicle has been known as the best flex player in the world since his Gambit days, where his contributions were pivotal in securing their victory at the 2021 Masters Reykjavik. Today, he continues to play an instrumental role in FNATIC's current success, further cementing his status as the most decorated Valorant player ever.

The undeniable testament to Chronicle's massive impact on any team he plays for is that the Russian holds the unique distinction of being the sole three-time international event winner in Valorant's history. As FNATIC currently is in the top four of Champions 2023, Chronicle finds himself on the cusp of seizing the only major trophy that has thus far eluded his illustrious career.

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