The final four of VCT LOCK//IN is here, with two teams from EMEA, one from the Americas and one from Pacific, all three regions are represented heading into the final three matches. He's a look at two players to target, and two players to fade heading into the Final Four.
Players to Target
Derke
Derke has been in ridiculous form throughout LOCK//IN and the return of the Jett meta sees him consistently sitting atop the World Rankings. With Fnatic looking red-hot heading into the semi-final there's no better option than the Finnish sniper. Derke and Fnatic are taking on their fellow EMEA team, Na'Vi, who feature a superstar Jett of their own, but have previously struggled to shut down Derke.
Shao
Derke has been the best sniper of LOCK//IN but Shao has been the best rifler, with some incredible performances that have single-handedly kept Na'Vi's record perfect heading into the semi-final. Shao finished 2022 as one of the best players in the world, but in 2023 he's taken a step forward, surpassing nearly everybody in a brilliant LOCK//IN showing.
Players to Fade
Saadhak
LOUD lost two of their star carries and somehow have avoided slowing down even a bit. A lot of that comes down the brilliant support play of Saadhak, who sits at the bottom of the board individually but has been undeniably clutch. It would be patently false to say anything other than that Saadhak is a brilliant player, unfortunately he hasn't had the individual performances needed to remain a top option. LOUD are the odds-on favorites to go back-to-back as VALORANT champions, so any formats that reward team accomplishments would immediately like Saadhak more than just his individual contributions.
Zest
Zest suffers from his team being too good, as weird as it sounds. DRX simply have so much firepower that Zest often finds himself not needing to have an absurd impact. Individually he sits on 182 ACS and a 1.10 KD, both very strong numbers, though the lack of volume he faces against most opponents drop him out of contention. Zest and DRX have a brutal match with reigning world champions LOUD in the semi-final, an unfortunate draw that puts Zest in the red for the Final Four.
Stats courtesy of Thespike.gg
