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VCT Lock In 2023 : Round Of 16 Day 1 Predictions

It is the comeback of the Valorant competitive season and things are burning up in Sao Paulo. The VCT 2023 Lock In is underway already with the round of 16 kicking off tomorrow. Today at Gamopo, we make some predictions on who’s winning on the first day of the Ro16.

About The VCT Lock In

VCT Lock In Round Of 16

The VCT Lock In is the first tournament of the VCT season and takes place early in the year. The Lock In is meant to help teams get into top form for the rest of the season by providing them with an opportunity to compete against other top teams. Lock In is featuring every team from the Americas, Pacific, EMEA leagues as well as two invited teams from China! The winning team that secures the championship will earn their region an extra slot at Masters 2023.

VCT23_LOCKIN_Primer_Article_Qualified_Teams.jpg

The round of 16 will be featuring NRG vs. Giants and LOUD vs. Karmine Corp on the first day. Visit the link to learn more about the event.

Round Of 16 Predictions

NRG vs Giants

NRG beat KOI 2-0 in a pretty tight series to make it to this round. On the other hand, Giants beat DetonatioN FM convincingly with a 2-0 score line.

But let’s move onto the first round of 16 matchup for now. NRG is walking into this series being one of the tournament favorites. They have a well-balanced team composing of the core players of the previous OpTic lineup. While there were some doubts about s0m, he buried that in the last match against KOI with a stellar performance. Giants has a decent lineup as well but they seem to be quite reliant on nukkye, the former G2 man.

The two teams have not played against each other before. With all of that being considered, we give the edge to NRG.

LOUD vs Karmine Corp

LOUD also had a bit of a hard time making it to the round of 16 beating Gen. G in a close series. Their opponent, Karmine Corp had to try hard too. They beat FunPlus Phoenix in a series that went all the way, on a score line of 2-1.

The victors of Champions 2022 will be looking to decimate Karmine Corp. While the Brazilian team has let go of Sacy and pAncada, they are still a formidable lineup with tuyz and cauanzin. With ScreaM as the IGL, KC looks promising as well. Shin and Nivera have shown form in the maps they have played at thus far. But we don’t think it’s enough to take down LOUD. We’re going for a LOUD win tonight.

Both the matches should be quite exciting tonight. May the best teams win!

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Riot Games Announces The Franchise Teams of VCT 2023

We have drawn the curtains on the VCT 2022 season earlier this week with LOUD securing the Valorant Champions 2022. The end of the season marks the hype for the next season and things are already getting hot. With Riot Games declaring the franchise teams of VCT 2023, social media has erupted with mixed reactions.

During Champions 2022, Riot Games announced that they will be introducing a franchise-like event next year. This means that only a select number of teams will be able to join upon invites into the competitive ecosystem. There will be a total of three leagues across the world based upon location. A total of 30 teams will be participating with 10 teams for each of Americas, Pacific and EMEA. The esports organizations are legally partnered with Riot to allow them to compete in the event while providing their intellectual property to the developers. Teams that are not partnered with Riot will have to qualify for the event through the amateur scene.

Franchise Teams of VCT 2023

Here are all the franchise teams for the VCT 2023 season:

VCT Americas

  • 100 Thieves
  • Cloud9
  • Evil Geniuses
  • FURIA
  • KRU Esports
  • Leviatan
  • LOUD
  • MIBR
  • NRG
  • Sentinels

VCT EMEA

  • BBL Esports
  • Fnatic
  • Team Vitality
  • Team Heretics
  • NAVI
  • Team Liquid
  • Karmine Corp
  • Giants
  • FUT Esports
  • KOI

VCT Pacific

  • Zeta Division
  • Gen.G
  • DRX
  • Paper Rex
  • Talon Esports
  • Detonation Gaming
  • T1
  • Team Secret
  • Rex Regum Qeon
  • Global Esports

You can learn more about the franchise teams reveal here.

Teams Missing Out

Unfortunately, some big names are missing out from the franchise event. OpTic Gaming, the team that finished top 3 in the last three top tier Valorant events have been left out. Their former IGL, FNS and yay have both announced that they are up for grabs as a restricted free agent.

Deeming themselves the best EMEA team in a recent announcement, FPX are also disheartened to not be a part of the plan. They not only won Copenhagen but also finished top 4 at Champions 2022. The organization announced that they will be focusing on “taking care of their players” in the near future.

The winners of Valorant Champions 2021, Acend Club are also missing out on a franchise spot. Their founder, Benjamin Rolle took to social media assuring fans that he’s still proud of what the organization has achieved. Bencb went on to state:

We’re disappointed, but we’re determined to build a powerhouse.

You can check out the full statement here:

Well, it surely is disappointing that some big teams will be missing out on the biggest stage of Valorant next year. We hope that these teams do make a comeback and perform on the main stage!

 

 

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LOUD Crowned Champions of Valorant Champions 2022

It’s been three weeks since the Valorant Champions 2022 kicked off. After 33 intense matches, we have finally witnessed the grand final between LOUD and OpTic Gaming. With the finals now done and dusted, the action surely lived up to the hype of the finals. How did the maps turn out? Keep on reading to find out only at Gamopo!

LOUD vs OpTic

LOUD and OpTic Gaming have faced each other a total of five times before, of which the latter has won thrice. This gives OpTic Gaming a slight edge over LOUD.

Rosters

LOUD

  • Matias “saadhak” Delipetro (IGL)
  • Erick “aspas” Santos
  • Felipe “Less” Basso
  • Bryan “pANcada” Luna
  • Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi

OpTic Gaming

  • Pujan “FNS” Mehta (IGL)
  • Victor “Victor” Wong
  • Austin “crashies” Roberts
  • Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker
  • Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen

Map Picks

  • LOUD ban Pearl and Fracture
  • LOUD pick Ascent
  • OPTC pick Bind
  • LOUD pick Breeze
  • OPTC pick Haven
  • Icebox remains

The Series

Map 1 (Ascent)

The first map of the grand finals began at Ascent. LOUD started off the map just the way they wanted picking up the first two pistol rounds. OpTic then began a scary streak of winning six straight rounds with some filthy plays from yay. The first half ended 7-5 in favor of OpTic. In the second half, it was OpTic that picked up the pistol rounds. LOUD picked up some pace winning the next three rounds but OpTic responded well…. for a while. LOUD made a comeback right after forcing the game to be taken to an overtime. The overtime was just as nail-biting and LOUD took the first map home 15-13.

Map 2 (Bind)

OpTic needed to make a statement on Bind and their start surely did. They picked up the first four rounds without a sweat. LOUD responded but only for a few rounds. OpTic ended the first half well in their favor ending it 10-2. LOUD recollected themselves and started the second half of the map really well. They won the first four rounds and looked to make a comeback. But with only two rounds needed to pick up the map, OpTic picked up the pieces and won Bind.

Map 3 (Breeze)

LOUD’s map pick didn’t start in their favor at all. Without a sweat, OpTic picked up the first five rounds with ease. LOUD made a solid comeback though with the first half ending 6-6. All hell broke loose in the second half of Breeze. Both teams kept going back and forth and both teams barely picked up consecutive rounds. The scores were 12-12 and it went to yet another overtime. Both teams went neck and neck in overtime but in the end, LOUD took their second win 16-14. LOUD was now one map away from being crowned the victors of Valorant Champions 2022.

Map 4 (Haven)

OpTic’s pick of Haven started very, very well for LOUD. The boys from South America not only picked up the pistols but the bonus round as well. First half did not fail to deliver the expected level of action as it ended 7-6 in favor of LOUD. The second half started with LOUD steamrolling over the entire roster of OpTic. OpTic couldn’t pick up a single round in defense as they fell prey to LOUD’s aggressiveness. In the end, LOUD won the map and the series 3-1.

Well, good news for Brazil fans as the trophy finally comes home as LOUD have been crowned Valorant champions. All we look forward to now is VCT 2023!

 

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OpTic and XSET move onto the Upper Bracket Semifinals

We’re done and over with the upper bracket quarterfinals of Valorant Champions 2022. To the demise of Team Liquid of Fnatic, OpTic Gaming and XSET have qualified for the upper bracket semifinals. However, good news is there’s still hope left as they’ve conceded to the lower bracket.

Day 2 of Upper Bracket Quarterfinals

On day 2 of the upper bracket quarterfinals, it was NA vs EMEA in both the matches. The representatives of NA, OpTic and XSET faced the sides from EMEA, Team Liquid and Fnatic respectively. Let’s find out how the action went!

OpTic vs Team Liquid

OpTic Gaming vs Team Liquid was our first NA vs EMEA matchup of the night. This was the first time the two sides have met each other in competitive Valorant.

Rosters

OpTic Gaming
  • Pujan “FNS” Mehta (IGL)
  • Victor “Victor” Wong
  • Austin “crashies” Roberts
  • Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker
  • Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen
Team Liquid
  • Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom (IGL)
  • Dom “soulcas” Sulcas
  • Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen
  • Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom
  • Dmitriy “dimasick”  Matvienko

Map Picks

  • TL ban Fracture
  • OpTic ban Haven
  • TL pick Breeze
  • OpTic pick Bind
  • TL ban Pearl
  • OpTic ban Icebox
  • Ascent remains

The Series

Map 1 (Breeze)

Team Liquid’s first map pick, Breeze started off the way they wanted. They picked up the two pistol rounds but conceded the bonus as expected. TL pretty much bulldozed the rest of the first half under the leadership of ScreaM. The half ended 9-3 in their favor. OpTic started the second half with new vigor winning the first three rounds. But Team Liquid responded soon picking up three straight rounds for themselves, soon ending the first map 13-7.

Map 2 (Bind)

Picked by OpTic, they needed to make a statement on Bind if they wanted to stay in the upper bracket. They surely did by picking up the first five rounds straight thanks to brilliant team efforts. But TL responded right after by winning the next five rounds and leveling the score. But the half ended 9-5 in favor of OpTic. The second half saw yay go wild picking up five first kills on Chamber. OpTic continued to dominate on Bind as they easily picked up the map 13-8.

Map 3 (Ascent)

Ascent was what was left to decide who makes it to the upper bracket semifinals. From the start of the third map, it was yay who was at the top of his game on Chamber yet again. He picked up 19 kills in the first half and spearheaded the team to be up by 10-2. The second half started with OpTic winning the first round but TL showed some strong determination after. They won six straight rounds giving their rivals something to worry about. But the boys from NA recollected themselves and picked up two rounds to seal the deal.

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XSET vs Fnatic

XSET vs Fnatic was the second NA vs EMEA encounter of the day. These two teams have never faced each other before competitively.

Rosters

XSET
  • Rory “dephh” Jackson (IGL)
  • Zachary “zekken” Patrone
  • Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban
  • Jordan “AYRIN” He
  • Brendan “BcJ” Jensen
Fnatic
  • Jake “Boaster” Howlett (IGL)
  • James “Mistic” Orfila
  • Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev
  • Enzo “Enzo” Mestari
  • Emir “Alfajer” Ali Beder

Map Picks

  • XSET ban Bind
  • FNC ban Haven
  • XSET pick Pearl
  • FNC pick Fracture
  • XSET ban Icebox
  • FNC ban Breeze
  • Ascent remains

The Series

Map 1 (Pearl)

The series began with XSET’s pick of Pearl. Fnatic did well to put the plant down on several occasions in the first half but XSET’s retaking capability proved to be superior. They won four rounds just by retaking the site and defusing right in time. The first half finished 9-3 in favor of the American team. Fnatic started the second half of the map winning the pistols as well as the bonus round. But it seemed to be a matter of time before XSET got back into the game. AYRIN stepped up big time with Astra and XSET wrapped up the first map 13-8.

Map 2 (Fracture)

Fnatic needed a response and they were hoping they could pull it off with their pick of Fracture. They started the map accordingly picking up the pistol rounds but XSET won the bonus. Fnatic kept on putting the plants down but XSET had quite a few successful attempts at defuses. The first half ended 8-5 in favor of Fnatic. Derke put up an amazing show in the second half but fell short to XSET’s strategic outplays. The two teams were neck and neck but XSET walked out the arena as victors.

Who is OpTic and XSET facing next?

Unfortunate news for NA Valorant fans because OpTic and XSET are facing each other in the upper bracket semifinals. The match is set for tomorrow after DRX face LOUD. The losers of those two matches will be sent to the lower brackets.

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Predictions for Valorant Champions 2022 Playoffs Day 1

We finally draw the curtains on the group stage of Valorant Champions 2022. There may be only 8 teams left but the playoffs are surely gonna be a long one. With day 1 set to start soon, check out our predictions for the winners of Valorant Champions 2022 Playoffs day 1!

DRX vs FunPlus Phoenix

We have Korea vs EMEA to kick off the upper bracket quarter finals. DRX had eased past group D picking up 2-0 wins against Furia and 100 Thieves. FPX didn’t have as smooth a sail as they were 2nd in group C and had to defeat KRU last night in a decider match. They put up a brilliant performance and earned themselves a worthy spot in the playoffs.

The two teams faced each other only twice before with both teams picking up a win each. The last match was a 2-0 win for FPX at Masters Copenhagen. FPX has a better form winning 3 out of their last 4 matches in all competitions whereas FunPlus won 2. FPX just played a match last night against KRU, so they’re getting no time to rest which might impact player performance a bit. At the grandest stage in all of Valorant, experience matters. And it is undoubtedly FunPlus Phoenix that has more experience in the international stage.

This is a tough one to call but it should be a win for FunPlus Phoenix.

If you’re interested to get your feet dipped in the world of betting, do check out our Gamopo Betting Academy!

Leviatan vs LOUD

Things are about to get extra hot at South America as the boys from Chile take on LOUD. Leviatan certainly impressed everyone during the group stage picking up rather comfortable wins against Paper Rex and Team Liquid. LOUD put up an impressive performance in group B only conceding to OpTic Gaming. ZETA, unfortunately, had to face their wrath twice.


Leviatan has a better record in recent competitive matches and they have faced better opponents as well. LOUD only picked up two wins in the last five matches, both of them coming against the same team that is ZETA. The two teams have never faced each other before despite being from the same continent.

No one can say for sure who’s winning between these two but we’re slightly giving the edge to Leviatan for their mindblowing performance at the group stage.

That’s it from us for our day 1 playoffs predictions at the Valorant Champions 2022. Who do you have your money on?

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Final Day of Valorant Champions 2022 Group Stage

It was the final day of the group stage of Valorant Champions 2022. We’ve witnessed jam-packed action even before making it to the playoffs. With just two seeds left in the upper-bracket quarterfinals, who were the final two teams to make it? Let’s find out!

Final Day of Valorant Champions 2022

The final day decided the destiny of two teams that’d be joining the playoffs of Champions 2022. The stage was set for KRU taking on FunPlus Phoenix and 100 Thieves going up against Fnatic. Both teams were pretty neck and neck on paper and it was tough to pick a winner. But eventually, we had our winners with the course of time.

KRU vs FunPlus Phoenix

KRU vs FunPlus Phoenix was the first group stage match of the final day. The two teams met last week as well where FPX picked up the series 2-0.

Rosters

KRU
  • Nicolas “Klaus” Ferrari (IGL)
  • Roberto “Mazino” Rivas
  • Juan “NagZ” Pablo Lopez
  • Joaquin “delz1k” Espinoza
  • Angelo “keznit” Mori
FunPlus Phoenix
  • Kyrylo “AGNE1” Karasov
  • Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky
  • Pontus “Zyppan” Eek
  • Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin
  • Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks

Map Picks

  • KRU ban Fracture
  • FPX ban Breeze
  • KRU pick Icebox
  • FPX pick Ascent
  • KRU ban Haven
  • FPX ban Pearl
  • Bind remains

The Series

Map 1 (Icebox)

KRU’s pick started off with pistol round wins for FPX. KRU responded by winning the bonus round but FPX picked up pace again. The first half ended pretty much evenly with scoreline reading 7-5 in favor of FunPlus. KRU executed what they had hoped for by winning the pistol rounds in the second half. The scoreline was even 7-7 at that point. The game could’ve been anyone’s but the team of FPX showed up winning the first map 13-9. It was a commendable team effort for FunPlus Phoenix as four players ended with a ACS of above 220.

Map 2 (Ascent)

On the 2nd map, it was FPX again who won the pistol rounds. They kept up the momentum by winning the next three rounds as well. They ended the first half of their map pick going up 9-3. Was a 9-3 curse loading? Not at all. FPX made sure they continued to dominate as they picked up a few more rounds with ease in defense. They picked up the second map as well as the series ending Ascent with a whopping score of 13-4. An ace by ardiis in the final round surely was the cherry on the top for FPX.

100 Thieves vs Fnatic

This was the final match of the final day of group stage at Valorant Champions 2022. The Thieves picked up a 2-1 win over Fnatic just a week ago.

Rosters

100 Thieves
  • Brenden “stellar” McGrath (IGL)
  • Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk
  • Derrek “Derrek” Ha
  • William “Will” Cheng
  • Sean “bang” Bezerra
Fnatic
  • Jake “Boaster” Howlett (IGL)
  • James “Mistic” Orfila
  • Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev
  • Enzo “Enzo” Mestari
  • Emir “Alfajer” Ali Beder

Map Picks

  • FNC ban Haven
  • 100T ban Icebox
  • FNC pick Bind
  • 100T pick Ascent
  • FNC ban Breeze
  • 100T ban Fracture
  • Pearl remains

The Series

Map 1 (Bind)

Picked by Fnatic, Bind was the first map where the two teams met. With Fnatic on attack, the start couldn’t have been any better for the European side. The entire roster looked polished but it seemed to have been a walk at the park for Alfajer and Derke. They ended the first half up by 10-2. They started the second half winning the two pistol rounds as well. The Thieves showed some resistance though by winning three rounds straight but their efforts were in vain. Fnatic picked up round 18 and sealed Bind with a comfortable 13-4 scoreline.

Map 2 (Ascent)

Ascent was the first map pick for 100 Thieves. The boys from NA won the pistol rounds of the first half. Fnatic, as expected, were quick to respond winning the next two rounds. The EU team got their momentum and ended the first half winning 8-4. In the second half, it was Fnatic who picked up the bonus as well as the pistol rounds. 100 Thieves responded well, putting in a solid effort and winning three rounds to try and turn the match around in their favor. But Fnatic showed their grit and won the series picking up Ascent 13-7.

Playoff Teams

All of the teams that are joining us at the playoffs are:

  • DRX
  • FunPlus Phoenix
  • Leviatan
  • LOUD
  • Optic Gaming
  • Team Liquid
  • XSET
  • Fnatic

The playoffs will begin today with Leviatan facing LOUD at first and DRX vs FunPlus Phoenix taking place later.

Who have you picked as your winners from the first day of playoffs? We know our picks! Check out our day 1 picks of who is making it to the upper bracket semi-finals.

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Day 1 Predictions of Valorant Champions 2022

Ladies and gentlemen, the Valorant Champions 2022 is finally kicking off today. We’ve got two promising matches up for show one day one of the tournament. Paper Rex will be facing Edward Gaming to kick off the event. For the second match, Leviatan will be trying their best to clinch a win against Team Liquid. Who will win the two matches of Valorant Champions 2022 according to our predictions? Let’s find out!

About Valorant Champions 2022

The holy grail of Valorant tournaments, The Valorant Champions 2022 is taking place at the Volkswagen Arena of Istanbul this year. The event is kicking off today (31st August) and the finals will take place on 18th September. We have 16 teams participating this year coming from all over the world. Each of the teams qualified either thanks to their regional circuit points or because of winning their regional LCQ.

Valorant Champions 2022 Group Stage: Teams, Schedule, Scores & More

In the group stages, there will be 4 groups having 4 teams each. Top 2 teams from each of the groups will advance to the playoffs. All matches in the group stage will be a best of 3. In the playoffs, 8 teams will be thrown into a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best of 3 yet again except for the lower bracket final and grand final.

Our Predictions

Paper Rex vs Edward Gaming

The debut match of the VCT 2022 will surely be a cracker. It’s a battle of establishing Asian dominance for both the teams. It was not too long ago that Paper Rex picked up the runners-up spot at VCT Copenhagen. While EDG are yet to establish something as incredible, they are still a force to be reckoned with. EDG have won 10 out of their last 10 matches. Most of those wins came without even needing to play all of the maps. Paper Rex had a similar streak as well but that was broken by FunPlus Phoenix at the finals of VCT Copenhagen.

Paper Rex sweep Fnatic at Masters Copenhagen - Dot Esports

Both the teams have never faced each other before, so this might be a little tough to predict. While EDG’s recent performance at the LCQ was impressive, we don’t think it’ll be enough to overshadow PRX. So, our prediction is a win for Paper Rex.

Leviatan vs Team Liquid

We have Leviatan vs Team Liquid for the second match of VCT Champions 2022. Team Liquid had to go down the harder route of having to win the EMEA LCQ to make it here. Meanwhile, Leviatan are showing up fair and square thanks to their LATAM circuit points. Both of these teams have never met before either.

Team Liquid has a better form in terms of recent matches played. They picked up 4 wins in their last 5 matches while Leviatan picked up 3. Team Liquid are also one of the only 7 teams who are showing up at the Champions a second time, so the experience really matters. With all of that in mind, we’re confident about a win for Team Liquid.

With only a few hours, who are you betting on for the predictions of Valorant Champions 2022 ? Do check out our betting academy before you get started with betting!

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100 Thieves knock the Sentinels out from NA LCQ 2022

We’re at the business end of the NA LCQ 2022 with the final few days remaining. The lower bracket quarter-finals just took place with 100 Thieves eliminating the Sentinels from NA LCQ 2022. How did the match go down? Who was at the top of his game? What awaits 100 Thieves now? We’ll cover that and much more only at Gamopo!

100 Thieves vs Sentinels

From the look of things before the match, the odds were pretty even between the Thieves and the Sentinels. The Sentinels conceded in their debut match of the tournament against The Guard and were sent to the lower bracket. Their only win came against Shopify Rebellion. 100 Thieves on the other hand won their first match of the tournament against NRG but lost to FaZe Clan. Thus, both the teams met at the lower bracket quarter-finals.

Rosters

Here’s how the teams lined up:

100 Thieves

  • Brenden “stellar” McGrath (IGL)
  • Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk
  • Derrek “Derrek” Ha
  • William “Will” Cheng
  • Sean “bang” Bezerra

Sentinels

  • Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan (IGL)
  • Michael “dapr” Gulino
  • Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
  • Michael “shroud” Grzesiek
  • Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro

Map Picks & Bans

  • Sentinels ban Bind
  • 100t ban Icebox
  • SEN pick Fracture
  • 100T pick Breeze
  • SEN ban Ascent
  • 100T ban Split
  • Haven remains

The Match

Map 1 (Fracture)

100 Thieves started off strong on Sentinel’s pick winning the first 4 rounds rather easily. Things went back and forth from there but the Thieves ended the half 8-4 in their favor. The Sentinels started off the second half trying to level the score and bring the game back in their favor. The score was soon 12-9 with 100 Thieves winning but the game was not over yet. Sentinels turned it around making it 12-12 and it was now overtime. Both teams looked sharp but it was Sentinels that clinched the map in the end winning it 17-15.

Map 2 (Breeze)

100 Thieves started off Breeze strong as well winning the first 2 pistol rounds. From then on, both the teams were pretty neck and neck as the half finished 7-5 in favor of the Thieves. Despite valiant efforts showcase by the Sentinels, Thieves held them off pretty well. They didn’t take long to secure the map winning it 13-7. Sentinels really faced the wrath of 100T in the second map. The match was now 1-1 and Haven was the decider.

Map 3 (Haven)

The Thieves maintained their tradition of dominating pistol rounds with the scoreline reading 2-0 yet again. The first half ended well for 100 Thieves ending it with a scoreline of 8-4. At this point, they were pretty close to victory. They got even closer winning the pistol rounds of the second half. The Sentinels, however, showed great resistance as they won streaks of rounds barely conceding a round to 100T but it was too little, too late. 100 Thieves picked up the map 13-11 and so, they picked up the series.

Image

100T Nadeshot was quick to compliment the Sentinels on Twitter:

 

100 Thieves vs. Cloud9

100 Thieves will be facing Cloud9 in the semi-finals of the NA LCQ 2022 on 13th August. 100 Thieves have one only once against C9 in the last 5 matches they have faced each other. The last time the two teams met were at the VCT NA S1: Challengers where C9 won 2-0. Cloud9 has the same roster since then with Thieves having 4 player changes. With that in mind, it’s a little tough to predict who’ll win but 100 Thieves might just clinch it.

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L1NK joins Acend’s Valorant roster

Former Team Liquid player, L1NK has joined the Valorant roster of Acend. The player will serve as the final member of Acend Valorant’s LCQ roster.

Who is L1NK?

Born in the United Kingdom, Travis “L1NK” Mendoza is a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional. The 23-year old used to play for a number of Counter-Strike teams before he made the move to Valorant. Despite playing CS:GO professionally for 3 years, he couldn’t manage to win a top-tier tournament. However, he made a name for himself after he started playing Valorant. His first team was fish123 which was a British org-less team. When Valorant esports kicked off, they made waves across Europe winning 7 tournaments in the span of a month and a half. This caught the attention of a number of esports organizations but Team Liquid acted quick and picked up the entire roster.

Team Liquid bench Valorant player L1NK and add Dreamas - Dexerto

L1nk at Team Liquid Valorant

 

When Team Liquid picked up the fish123 roster in the middle of 2020, the members started afresh. They relentlessly played tournaments after tournaments at the highest level of the game. They’ve won quite a few A-tier tournaments including the VCT 2021: EMEA Last Chance Qualifier last year. Their best finishes came at the VALORANT Champions 2021 where L1nk and his Liquid teammates lost to Acend. From day one of Team Liquid Valorant, L1nk has been through thick and thin which is why the organization didn’t forget to bid him an emotional farewell.

L1nk at Acend

L1nk has just joined the Acend lineup but has to prove his worth at the VCT 2022: EMEA LCQ 2022. There is even a chance that he might cross paths against his former team some time during hte tournament. L1nk will be joining an impressive lineup having a solid chance making it out of the EMEA LCQ this year.

Acend’s Roster

  • Mehmet “cNed” Yağız İpek
  • Patryk “starxo” Kopczyński (IGL)
  • Vakaris “vakk” Bebravičius
  • Ondřej “MONSTEERR” Petrů
  • Travis “L1nk” Mendoza

With a roster like that, no wonder the new recruit had a bold statement up his sleeve:

Image

Will L1nk live up to his promise at the EMEA LCQ with his team? Guess only time will tell.

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FPX Becomes Champions of VCT Masters Copenhagen

The stage was set at Copenhagen as FunPlus Phoenix faced Paper Rex at the grand finals of VCT Masters Copenhagen 2022. It started off with 12 teams but as the dust settled, only 2 remained. In the end after 5 breathtaking maps, it was FPX that were crowned the champions of Masters Copenhagen.

Team Rosters

FunPlus Phoenix

  • Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov
  • Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky
  • Pontus “Zyppan” Eek
  • Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin
  • Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks

Paper Rex

  • Benedict “Benkai” Tan
  • Aaron “mindfreak” Leonhart
  • Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto
  • Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee
  • Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie

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FPX’s Run at Masters Copenhagen

Group Stage

Right from the start, FPX had an impressive run and faced some real mighty teams. They, however, probably missed FaZe Clan who failed to qualify for the Masters. FunPlus Phoenix were one of the eight group stage teams, being one of the two teams from EMEA. They took shelter in group B against the likes of DRX, Northeption and XERXIA. They finished second in Group B winning against Northeption and XERXIA but losing to DRX. Since they finished second, they had to take the longer (and harder) route finding themselves in the lower bracket.

Lower Bracket

In round 1 of the lower bracket, FPX faced Guild Esports who they convincingly beat 2-0 in a Bo3. Moving onto the lower quarter-finals, they faced DRX yet again and this time they took revenge. DRX straight up lost 2-0 to FPX bowing out of the competition. It was then an all EMEA showdown as FPX faced Fnatic. Even though Fnatic took the first map, FPX came back winning the next two moving onto the lower bracket final. FPX were now up against one of the tournament favorites, OpTic Gaming. But FunPlus showed their class annihilating OpTic 3-1 without even having to go for the final map. FPX were now finally in the grand finals of Masters Copenhagen 2022.

Grand Finals

Map Results

  • FPX wins 13-3 on Bind
  • PRX wins 13-7 on Icebox
  • FPX wins 13-7 on Fracture
  • PRX wins 13-7 on Haven
  • FPX wins 13-9 on Breeze

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And with that, FunPlus Phoenix became champions of Valorant Masters Copenhagen 2022. This was the first five map grand final of Valorant Masters history, so it can definitely be deemed as the best one yet.

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