MIBR did not have an easy choice in this regard since the pro scene is incredibly good at the moment, especially in America. They are building a superteam with the intention of ruling the new season, while players’ reactions on social media are mixed – from pure excitement and some confusion to a shower of jokes. Let’s take a closer look at it.
As a starting point, the new line-up. For those who are not fans of the pro scene, it literally means the gathering of kings. Aspas is definitely a legend, a world champion. Zekken is a newly recognized star for his daring plays. Mazino and tex are both veterans. Frod is a strategist. Verno and Happy bring their remarkable talents to finish the team. A squad like this should frighten every competitor big time. The announcement video they made is nothing but cool cuts and thrilling music, and it finishes with a somewhat funny, abrupt cut revealing one player saying, “Esse final me pegou. kkkkkkk” (That ending got me. lol).
But this is where it gets really fun and the community reaction starts to get vibrant. The very first answer to the announcement already indicates the whole mood. A player with the account name of @luscahl answered to someone who was saying, “A kru com mais br que a MADE IN BRAZIL é putaria kkkkkkkkk.” Let’s break it down – it is a joke saying, “The crew with more Brazilians than MADE IN BRAZIL is crazy lol.” It comes off as a teasing remark since no matter how much MIBR is a Brazilian organization, the truth is that some of these players do not belong to Brazil exclusively, which implies the global trend of the present esports ranking. Another player, @Crocowfps, even tagged a friend referring to it as “made in gringos” and posted a laughing emoji.
On the other hand, the debate about what is best and what is not best in sports comes up. Player @Nicolas07679308 was not convinced, he put forth the question, “Tinha o Cortezia e o Less como opção e colocaram o Tex…” which translates to “They had Cortezia and Less as options and they put Tex…” So, not everyone has a consensus concerning every choice made. That is the case with the fan base, or if you prefer the gamer base. Another player, @_talha_zobair_, was rather negative in English: “Surely they’re going to sht next year.” Harsh, but there is a saying that goes along the lines that everyone is allowed to have an opinion/criticize.
Some conversations were very depthful such as @wesrezende who was questioning why Zekken and Verno’s jerseys did not show a sponsor logo in the video. Others just enjoyed the ride of such a powerful lineup, with @flavio_verde triumphantly declaring, “Caralhoooo que time é esse o MIBR JOGA!” (Holy sht what a team is this MIBR PLAYS!). The multilingual hype is very real.
I must say what I like the most about every announcement is the random, off-topic threads that it generates. One user, @re_rodrigues7, just provided a link to a totally unrelated video and asked “Só eu vi essa aqui?” (Did only I see this one?). No context. Just a link. That’s the internet for you. And another, @PeJotaLima, saw a player in the video and said that he looked like a police officer in the army and jokingly labeled him, “Seloco armadão filho” – which translates to “Look at him, all geared up in armor, son.”
There were also some comments about the new uniforms with @fontdajovintude saying that the announcement was amazing but still pleading, “pfv que uniforme feio, espero que troquen durante a season próximo ano” (please what an ugly uniform, I hope they change it during the season next year). I guess you can’t make everyone happy with fashion.
So what can we conclude from all this? MIBR is making a gigantic and eye-catching sign-up for the 2024 Valorant Champions Tour season. They will be coming with a line-up that has the pedigree of winning and the presence of superstars to compete at the top level. The public reaction is a testimony to this. The hype, the doubt, the meticulousness around jersey sponsors and player selections – it all boils down to MIBR’s next move being super exciting.
