LOUD and Fnatic maintain their place in the Valorant Champions 2023
The playoffs the Valorant Champions Tour 2023 put on a show worthy of the name for fans from all over the world. Last weekend, LOUD defeats EDward Gaming at the end of a frenetic encounter, then Fnatic did the same against DRX. These two behemoths will soon go head-to-head to determine which will advance to the Lower Bracket Final.
LOUD takes revenge on EDward Gaming
LOUD and EDward Gaming last met at the Tokyo Masters. At the end of this match, EDG have eliminated the Brazilians from the tournament for good. So there was no doubt that the reigning World Champions, galvanised by their recent success, were out for revenge. And that's exactly what they did! Nevertheless, it was not an easy encounter for Aspas and Co; three cards were needed to separate the two competing teams.
On BindThe first half was extremely tight. LOUD managed to regain control on several occasions, but the EDGs also managed to finish when necessary, in particular Chichoowho scored two straight sets. And at the changeover, they find themselves level.
EDG took the lead in Defence, but again the Brazilians remained focused and eventually regained the lead. Unfortunately for them, a weakened economy meant that several sets slipped through their fingers. At the end of the game, the two quadra kills of nobody and smoggy were fatal and EDG won 13-11.
While it took just over an hour and ten minutes to play Bind, LOUD brought the Ascent battle to a close in just forty minutes. The Brazilian team as a whole performed well and rose to the occasion. The quick-fire victory - 13-5 - is not all that surprising when you look at the statistics. During the VCT Americas, LOUD has won seven times and lost just once on Ascent, while EDG posted just 56% of wins over the 2023 season.
The show continued on Haven. Once again, both teams showed why they are in the play-offs. At the end of the first half, the score was level at six apiece. Lesswho was unstoppable against Team Liquid with his Killjoy once again shone on this card, finishing the first half with an ACS of 368 and a KD of around 2.4.
LOUD then took the lead in the score after the change, having won five successive sets, including bonus-round. Once the credit reserves had been replenished, the EDGs considerably reduced the gap in the score. Initially trailing 11-6, they clawed their way back to 12-11. Nonetheless, cauzine's triple elimination in heat 24 was the final straw for the chinese teamLOUD won 13-11.
With this defeat, EDG is out of the Valorant Champions for good. Although ZmjjKK were aiming for the Grand Final, the Chinese still put in a good run, as they finished 5th/6thThey went out of the group stage in the previous edition without a win.
Fnatic turns the tables on DRX
The other match of the day was just as eagerly awaited, as Fnatic took on DRX in a match that was also eliminatory. While Fnatic proved the statistics right - 58% of the votes gave their Europeans the winners - victory was not easy to achieve, far from it.
And even more, on Bind, Boaster and his comrades were crushed by the Koreans. Thanks to the excellent performance of MaKos various clutches and a general aggressiveness in the gameplay. stax and ZestThey only conceded one round of the game.
In the wake of this crushing defeat, Alfajer, Leo, Derke, Boaster and Chronicle have shown that they are ready for the future. a completely different face on Havenwinning six of the twelve sets in the first half. But the DRX were still very much in the game. It wasn't until the second half that Fnatic managed to turn the tide, taking off towards the top of the table. a 13-9 victory.
The second elimination of the day therefore came down to Split. Determined to stay in the Valorant Champions, both teams gave their all to pick up points, and at the changeover Fnatic was only leading 7-5.
The match could have ended in overtime and gone on for some time, but it was not to be. Leo had decided otherwise. Already an attacking force, he is the key player in defence. Between his double eliminations, a one-on-two clutch and his quadrakill, he proved decisive on many occasions. Fnatic conceded just one more point in the remainder of the game and eventually won 13-6.
This defeat has a bitter taste for DRX, as they once again finished 5/6th in an international LANAfter a masterful performance at the start of the competition. The Korean structure's social networks were amused by the situation, but staxexpressed his disappointment "It's the curse of the 5/6ths all over again, which is a bit disappointing.
By emerging victorious from their respective matches, LOUD and Fnatic have one last chance to reach the Valorant Champions Grand Final. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until the final match for a duel between these two teams, as they face offagain, in the semi-finals of the lower bracket, this Friday 25 August.
Knowing that Fnatic recently lost 2-0 to LOUD in the quarter-finals, this new encounter promises to be electric!
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