VALORANT Champions Bundles Ranked: Worst to Best

Champions skins are some of the most recognizable cosmetics Riot has ever released for VALORANT, but not every collection has landed equally well.

Since 2021, Riot has released a limited Champions collection alongside VALORANT’s biggest annual esports event. Each collection has featured a premium Vandal or Phantom skin alongside an exclusive melee, with later releases adding increasingly elaborate reactive effects, finishers, and tournament-themed extras.

Some bundles went all-in on flashy effects, while others relied on cleaner designs and a stronger visual identity. This ranking is subjective, but each collection is judged on its weapon design, melee quality, finishers, effects, originality, and how well it has aged.

With that in mind, here are all VALORANT Champions bundles ranked from worst to best.

Every VALORANT Champions Bundle at a Glance

Once a Champions collection leaves the VALORANT Store, its weapon skins do not return through the regular Store rotation or Night.Market. That exclusivity is part of what gives older Champions skins their collector appeal. Players specifically looking for discontinued cosmetics may also choose to buy VALORANT account options that already include one or more previous Champions skins.

#5 Champions 2022

Champions 2022 was Riot’s first follow-up to the original collection, replacing the Vandal with the Champions 2022 Phantom and pairing it with a Butterfly Knife.

The collection kept the familiar red, black, and gold Champions aesthetic while introducing more reactive elements than the 2021 release. The Phantom evolves visually every five kills, up to 25, giving strong matches more visual payoff as the game progresses.

It is a good bundle on its own, but compared with the Champions collections that followed, it now feels less distinctive.

Best Feature of Champions 2022

The Champions Butterfly Knife is easily the best part of the collection.

Butterfly knives are already among the most satisfying VALORANT melees to inspect, and the Champions styling gives this version plenty of personality without making it overly complicated. It also includes additional visual effects tied to strong individual performance, fitting the competitive Champions theme nicely.

Why It Ranks Fifth

Champions 2022 is a good collection, but it is less memorable than the others. The Phantom is clean, while the Butterfly Knife is still a highlight, but neither stands out as much as the best weapons from the other Champions releases.

Overall, it feels polished but relatively safe, which is why it lands at the bottom of our ranking.

#4 Champions 2025

Champions 2025 is one of the most ambitious Champions collections Riot has made.

The bundle includes the Champions 2025 Vandal, Butterfly Knife, Gun Buddy, Player Card, Spray, and interactive Trophy Flex. Compared with earlier Champions releases, Riot packed the collection with more interactive and reactive features.

The Vandal is particularly feature-heavy. Top fragging activates the Champion’s Aura, while the Hot Streak effect temporarily transforms the weapon into a full-gold version after a kill. Additional kills extend the effect, making successful streaks increasingly noticeable.

Best Feature of Champions 2025

The Hot Streak effect is one of the standout features of the Champions 2025 Vandal. After a kill, the weapon temporarily transforms into its full-gold form, and additional kills keep the effect going.

Combined with the Champion’s Aura, custom audio, and finisher effects, it makes the 2025 Vandal one of the most feature-packed Champions skins yet.

Why It Ranks Fourth

Champions 2025 is impressive, but it may be a little too flashy for its own good. The heavy gold styling and numerous reactive effects give the Vandal plenty of personality, yet they also make it feel noticeably busier than earlier Champions skins.

That will not be a problem for players who want as much spectacle as possible, but anyone who prefers cleaner weapon designs may find it slightly overwhelming during regular matches.

The Butterfly Knife is another strong addition, although returning to the same general melee style used for Champions 2022 takes away some of the novelty.

It is still a very good bundle, but Champions 2023, 2024, and 2021 feel more distinctive and memorable as complete collections.

#3 Champions 2023

Champions 2023 brought the Vandal back and paired it with the Champions 2023 Kunai.

This time, Riot moved away from the dominant red-and-black style of the first two collections and leaned harder into purple, gold, and black. That change immediately helped Champions 2023 feel more distinct from what came before.

The Vandal also introduced several reactive effects, including an evolving appearance based on kills and a special effect for aces.

Best Feature of Champions 2023

The Champions 2023 Vandal is one of the best rifles in the series. Its effects build as you get more kills, so the skin becomes more visually rewarding during a strong match.

The Ace Effect is the standout. Getting an ace already feels significant, and having the Vandal react to it gives the skin even more personality.

Why It Ranks Third

Champions 2023 takes third mainly because of its Vandal. The purple-and-gold design still looks great, and the reactive effects are flashy without feeling as busy as Champions 2025.

The Kunai is more divisive. Its unusual shape gives the bundle personality, but it may not have the same broad appeal as the Karambit, Butterfly Knife, or Champions Blade.

With a stronger melee, this collection could have challenged for the top two. As it stands, the Vandal does most of the heavy lifting.

#2 Champions 2024

Champions 2024 feels like one of the most complete Champions collections Riot has released.

The Phantom uses a black, purple, and gold color scheme that gives it a premium look, while its reactive effects become more noticeable as you rack up kills.

The Champions Blade also gives the bundle a melee that feels completely different from previous releases, helping the collection stand out even more. On top of that, Champions 2024 has one of the most elaborate finishers in the series, making the whole package feel suitably special for a Champions release.

Best Feature of Champions 2024

The Champions 2024 finisher is arguably the best of all five collections, turning the final kill into a huge cosmic celebration.

The Champions Blade also helps the bundle stand out. Its large sword design and distinctive animations make it feel completely different from the Karambit, Butterfly Knives, and Kunai used in other Champions collections.

Why It Ranks Second

Champions 2024 is one of the most polished bundles in the series. The Phantom feels premium without being too busy, the finisher is excellent, and the Champions Blade gives the collection a genuinely unique melee.

It only misses the top spot because Champions 2021 still has the stronger identity and long-term appeal in our ranking.

#1 Champions 2021

Even after four more Champions collections, the 2021 bundle still holds up as our pick for the best of the bunch.

It introduced the Champions Vandal and Karambit, along with the red, black, and gold look that became instantly associated with VALORANT Champions.

By today’s standards, the bundle is much simpler than newer releases, but that is exactly why it has aged so well. The Vandal feels premium without being overloaded with effects, and the Champions branding is bold enough to stand out without taking over the entire design.

There is a confidence to Champions 2021 that later bundles sometimes lose by trying to do more. It does not need constant animations or layers of reactive effects to feel special, and that restraint is a big reason it remains so memorable.

Best Feature of Champions 2021

The Champions 2021 Vandal and Karambit are still one of the strongest weapon-and-melee pairings Riot has put together for a Champions bundle.

The Vandal has a clean, instantly recognizable design, while the Karambit remains one of the most memorable tournament melees in VALORANT.

The finisher is another big reason the collection still holds up. Landing the final kill triggers a massive Champions-themed sequence with music and tournament branding, giving the end of the round a proper sense of occasion. It also helped set the standard for the dramatic finishers that later Champions bundles would build on.

Why It Is the Best Champions Bundle

Champions 2021 takes the top spot because it still feels timeless.

The Champions 2021 Vandal is clean, premium, and instantly recognizable without relying on excessive effects, while the Karambit remains one of the best VALORANT Champions melee skins Riot has released. The Vandal’s distinctive kill sound and restrained visual effects have also helped it age well compared with some of the more elaborate Champions releases.

There is also the collector appeal. As the bundle that started the Champions series, it carries a legacy that newer collections simply cannot replicate.

Which VALORANT Champions Bundle Is the Best Overall?

Champions 2021 is our pick for the best VALORANT Champions bundle overall, although Champions 2024 comes extremely close thanks to its elaborate finisher and distinctive Champions Blade.

Our final ranking is:

1. Champions 2021 – Most iconic overall collection with an excellent Vandal and Karambit
   
2. Champions 2024 – Best finisher and one of the most distinctive Champions melees
   
3. Champions 2023 – Excellent Vandal with strong reactive effects and a unique aesthetic
   
4. Champions 2025 – Extremely feature-rich but slightly too busy for our taste
   
5. Champions 2022 – Clean and consistent, but less distinctive than the other releases
   

Of course, weapon preference changes the ranking considerably. Vandal mains are more likely to gravitate toward 2021, 2023, or 2025, while Phantom players may naturally prefer the 2022 and 2024 collections.

Still, when looking at design, melee quality, effects, identity, and how well each bundle has aged, Champions 2021 remains our pick for the best VALORANT Champions collection overall.

PSXE