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Moist Moguls Defeat The Guard At Challengers League: NA

Newly formed Moist Moguls have taken down The Guard at the Valorant Challengers League: North America. With a 2-1 series win, the new kids in the block have surely upset the NA Valorant powerhouse. Find out how the series turned out only at Gamopo!

About Moist Moguls

Moist Moguls is the Valorant Roster of Moist Esports which is owned by Charles “MoistCr1TiKaL” White. The team has taken part in 3 tournaments so far and are still trying to get the look and feel of competitive Valorant. The IGL of the Valorant roster is Xavier “flyuh” Carlson who also happens to be the youngest player. The roster will be looking forward to continue to dominate at the Challengers League: NA. They are currently at the top of group B.

Moist Moguls vs The Guard

Rosters

Moist Moguls

  • Alex ‘aproto’ Protopapas
  • Brock ‘brawk’ Somerhalder
  • Xavier ‘flyuh’ Carlson
  • Tyler ‘sym’ Porter
  • Brady ‘thief’ Dever

The Guard

  • Jacob ‘valyn’ Batio
  • Michael ‘neT’ Bernet
  • Jonah ‘JonahP’ Pulice
  • Trent ‘trent’ Cairns
  • Ian ‘tex’ Botsch

The Series

Map Picks & Bans

  • MxM ban Bind
  • TGRD ban Ascent
  • MxM pick Pearl
  • TGRD pick Split
  • MxM ban Fracture
  • TGRD ban Lotus
  • Haven remains

Map 1 (Pearl)

The first map of the series was Pearl. With Moist getting to play their preferred map first, they needed to capitalize to win the series. But Pearl kicked off with The Guard winning the first two pistol rounds. While they couldn’t win the bonus round, they did pick up the next two to make up for it. Moist showed some courage to then win three rounds and the two teams equally divided the rest of the four rounds. The first half ended in a tie with the scoreline being 6-6.

As the first half ended and the sides were changed, Moist put on their game faces. On attack, it was brawk and flyuh who showed everyone how you’re supposed to dominate on Pearl. The Guard won only one round on defense as they looked helpless. In the end, the Moguls picked up the first map 13-7.

Map 2 (Split)

It was now time for the teams to show up on Guard’s map pick of Split. The map began with Moist winning the first round but conceding the next 4 rounds at a stretch. The rest of the first half saw Moist getting some traction back and eventually catching up to The Guard.  Yet again, the first half of the map ended even Steven between the two teams.

As the sides were switched, Moist won the first two rounds of the second half. But the following rounds were pretty much domination from the side of The Guard. A 5-round streak from their side saw them racing towards the finish line. But that was not all for the map as Moist Moguls won 3 more rounds to tie the match and head to overtime. In overtime, The Guard won 4 rounds despite facing some resistance from Moist to win the map.

Map 3 (Haven)

The decider map of the series was Haven. Haven started off well for The Guard as they picked up the first two rounds with ease. Even though they conceded the bonus round, they made amends on round number four. The rest of the first half went back and forth and the map score was tied yet again at 6-6.

With Moist now on attack, they won the first two rounds of the second half. After conceding the bonus round, they picked up 3 rounds at a stretch. Even though The Guard tried their best to make a comeback later on, it wasn’t enough. The Moist Moguls won Haven 13-10 and thus picked up the series.

The Moguls will be facing OResports next and will be looking to retain their winning streak. Despite an impressive performance by The Guard, The Moguls showed yet again why they deserve to be at the top of group B in the tournament.

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Fnatic & NaVi Pick Up Wins On Week 5 Of VCT EMEA

We have just been done and dusted with the final day of week 5 of VCT EMEA 2023. As we had already predicted before, Fnatic & NaVi will be walking out of the arena as victors and that is exactly what happened. Let’s check out how the matches turned out here at Gamopo!

Fnatic & NaVi Get The W

FUT Esports vs Fnatic

Rosters

FUT Esports
  • Buğra ‘mojj’ Kiraz
  • Doğukan ‘qRaxs’ Balaban
  • Konur ‘qw1’ Alp Şahin
  • Furkan ‘MrFaliN’ Yeğen
  • Ata ‘ATA KAPTAN’ Tan
Fnatic
  • Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett
  • Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev
  • Emir ‘Alfajer’ Ali Beder
  • Leo ‘Leo’ Jannesson
  • Timofey ‘Chronicle’ Khromov

Map Picks & Bans

  • FNC ban Pearl
  • FUT ban Fracture
  • FNC pick Icebox
  • FUT pick Lotus
  • FNC ban Split
  • FUT ban Ascent
  • Haven remains

The Series

Map 1  (Icebox)

The first map of the night was Icebox which is Fnatic’s favorite playground. Fnatic started the map off just the way they wanted- winning the first two rounds. However, FUT Esports was quick to respond as they won the next four rounds at a stretch. The rest of the first half was pretty much Fnatic making a comeback. The first half ended 7-5 in favor of Fnatic.

As the sides were changed, Fnatic really put their game faces on and put up a way better performance on attack. They needed only 6 more rounds to pick up the map and that’s exactly what they did. Fnatic picked up all of the rounds on attack and won on Icebox. It was none other than Alfajer that put on a stellar performance for his team.

Map 2 (Lotus)

It was now time to show up at FUT’s map pick of Lotus. Fnatic stuck by their game plan and chose not to go for an atypical team composition. Fnatic started Lotus on the right foot by winning the first two rounds yet again. While they couldn’t follow up by winning the bonus round, they made amends by making sure FUT can’t pick up consecutive rounds. The first half ended 8-4 in favor of Fnatic.

Heading into the second half, FUT was in a rather uncomfortable position. They had to recollect themselves and get their strategies right in order to make a comeback. But that’s quite the herculean task against this Fnatic roster! Fnatic kept their composure and won Lotus 13-5. With the second map done and dusted, it was a comfortable 2-0 victory for the Turkish giants.

Team Vitality vs. Natus Vincere

Rosters

Team Vitality
  • Jokūbas ‘ceNder’ Labutis
  • Santeri ‘BONECOLD’ Sassi
  • Michał ‘MOLSI’ Łącki
  • Tomas ‘Destrian’ Linikas
  • Karel ‘Twisten’ Ašenbrener
Natus Vincere
  • Kyrylo ‘ANGE1’ Karasov
  • Mehmet ‘cNed’ Yağız İpek
  • Dmitry ‘SUYGETSU’ Ilyushin
  • Andrey ‘Shao’ Kiprsky
  • Pontus ‘Zyppan’ Eek

Map Picks & Bans

  • VIT ban Pearl
  • NAVI ban Haven
  • VIT pick Split
  • NAVI pick Fracture
  • VIT ban Icebox
  • NAVI ban Lotus
  • Ascent remains
Map 1 (Split)

Vitality’s first pick of Split wasn’t a surprise at all as they have tons of experience on that map. But NaVi’s start on Split surely made Vitality scratch their heads. A determined NaVi roster made sure that they won the first pistol rounds. While they did concede their bonus round, they kept the momentum on their side throughout the first half. And that is why the first half finished 9-3 in favor of NaVi.

The second half saw Vitality recollecting themselves and putting on a better show. CeNder and Twisten tried their level best to bring their team back into the match. An impressive comeback was on the horizon as Team Vitality almost equaled the scores at 10-11. However, the NaVi team made sure not to drag it any further and picked up two rounds to win their first map of the night.

Map 2 (Fracture)

It was now time for the two teams to play on NaVi’s map pick. With Vitality starting on defense, they picked up the first two pistol rounds. But NaVi soon leveled the score 2-2 by winning the next two rounds. It was Vitality again in the driver’s seat as they won two rounds of their own. But the rest of the first half saw NaVi dominate. The first half was over with NaVi up 7-5.

The second half came with intense neck and neck competition. Vitality won the first round but couldn’t follow it up with the next round. The following rounds saw things go back and forth as both looked desperate to win on Fracture. But Vitality eventually caught up to Natus Vincere with the score line reading 10-10. At this point, one of the teams had to step up and it was NaVi.  They picked up the next three rounds without flinching and won the map 13-10. As expected, NaVi came out on top!

The VCT EMEA 2023 action returns on Wednesday with Team Vitality set to face Fnatic. NaVi will face Team Liquid next in about a week’s worth of time. Can both Fnatic & NaVi continue their domination at the VCT EMEA 2023?

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Fnatic & Karmine Corp Finds Wins At VCT EMEA 2023

It was day 5 of week 1 at the VCT EMEA 2023. The mighty Fnatic faced BBL Esports and Karmine Corp went up against Team Heretics at VCT EMEA. Which teams came out on top and how did the action pan out? Find out more only at Gamopo!

Fnatic & Team Heretics Winning At VCT EMEA

With Champions & Masters qualifications on the line, the teams can only hope of picking up wins. With Fnatic facing BBL Esports and Karmine Corp vs Team Heretics, things can go any direction on the night. Let’s check out all the action!

Fnatic vs BBL Esports

Rosters

Fnatic
  • Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett
  • Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev
  • Leo ‘Leo’ Jannesson
  • Timofey ‘Chronicle’ Khromov
  • Maks ‘kamyk’ Rychlewski
BBL Esports
  • Ali ‘AsLanM4shadoW’ Osman Balta
  • Doğukan ‘QutionerX’ Dural
  • Mehmet ‘Turko’ Özen
  • Eren ‘Brave’ Kasırga
  • İbrahim ‘SouhcNi’ Sağır

Map Picks & Bans

  • BBL ban Fracture
  • FNC ban Pearl
  • BBL pick Ascent
  • FNC pick Haven
  • BBL ban Icebox
  • FNC ban Lotus
  • Split remains

The Series

Ascent

Fnatic started off their first map winning the first two pistol rounds. However, what followed after was ruthless destruction by BBL. They won nine rounds straight without flinching and the first half ended 9-3 in favor of BBL Esports. A 9-3 curse loading? With four rounds away from a map win, there wasn’t a lot that Fnatic could do. BBL Esports picked up their map pick winning it 13-6. It was now time for Fnatic to make a comeback to their VCT EMEA 2023 run.

Haven

Haven was Fnatic’s map pick and they sincerely hoped they could turn the tide in their favor. They started on defense on their own map pick. From the get go, Fnatic looked pretty solid while defending their sites. They won the two pistol rounds but conceded the bonus round. In the following rounds, Fnatic had to give up the site for BBL to plant but they soon got their defuses down. The first half ende 8-4 in favor of Fnatic. BBL started the second half winning two pistol rounds but failed to follow up. It was neck and neck after that but Fnatic was always one step ahead. They won the second map 13-9.

Split

It was now time for the decider. Fnatic started off the map on attack and won the first two pistol rounds. The first half of the map was absolutely level pegging. Both the teams showed immense levels of promise as they saw out rounds. The first half ended with the scoreline levelled at 6-6. Fnatic started off the second half on the strong foot. They picked up the first four rounds at a stretch. BBL tried their level best to make a comeback but was an inch or two short. Fnatic won their second map 13-11 and thus won the series.

Karmine Corp vs Team Heretics

Rosters

Karmine Corp
  • Ryad ‘Shin’ Ensaad
  • Alexis ‘Newzera’ Humbert
  • Adil ‘ScreaM’ Benrlitom
  • Nabil ‘Nivera’ Benrlitom
  • Alexandre ‘xms’ Forté
Team Heretic
  • Wassim ‘keloqz’ Cista
  • Óscar ‘mixwell’ Cañellas Colocho
  • Aleksander ‘zeek’ Zygmunt
  • Ričardas ‘Boo’ Lukaševičius
  • Auni ‘AvovA’ Chahade

Map Picks & Bans

  • TH ban Fracture
  • KC ban Ascent
  • TH pick Icebox
  • KC pick Split
  • TH ban Haven
  • KC ban Pearl
  • Lotus remains

The Series

Icebox

The series started off with the Icebox pick of Team Heretics. As they should, Heretics won the first two pistol rounds of the first map. Karmine Corp did win the bonus round thought but Heretics continued to dominate the first half. Heretics was determined to get the plant down and made sure it exploded. The first half ended 9-3 in favor of Heretics. The roles were reversed and it was Karmine Corp on attack now. They started off well winning the first two rounds on attack but that did not stop Team Heretics. They picked up four more rounds straight and thus finished off the first map 13-5.

Split

It was now time to play on the map pick of Karmine Corp. Team Heretics won the pistol rounds this time as well. While they did concede their bonus round, they outshined their opponents in the following rounds. Karmine Corp could barely pick up two rounds in the first half as it ended 10-2 in favor of their opponents. In the second half, all Heretics needed to do was win three more rounds. And they just took three rounds to do that. They won Split 13-2 and thus picked up the series win against Karmine Corp.

 

Fnatic are now top of the table with two wins out of two. Team Heretics are now on joint fifth place along with Natus Vincere.

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VCT Lock In: DRX vs C9 & EG vs Talon Predictions

We are just hours away from the Round of 16 matches with DRX vs C9 and EG vs Talon Esports. Who will be joining NRG and LOUD at the quarter finals of VCT Lock In 2023? Today, we predict the two winners of the night as we move towards the business end of the tournament.

Round Of 16 Predictions

DRX vs Cloud9

South Korean Giants will be facing the representatives of NA on our first match of the night.

Probable Lineups

DRX
  • Kim “stax” Gu-taek (IGL)
  • Goo “Rb” Sang-Min
  • Kim “Zest” Gi-seok
  • Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul
  • Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan
Cloud9
  • Anthony “vanity” Malaspina (IGL)
  • Nathan “leaf” Orf
  • Erick “Xeppaa” Bach
  • Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro
  • Jacob “yay” Whiteaker

Our Prediction

It’s the North America vs Asia in the first match of the night. DRX have defeated BBL Esports 2-1 to make it to the round of 16. On the other hand, Cloud9 steamrolled over another Asian team, Paper Rex. Both teams have shown similar levels of confidence so far in the tournament.

A lot of this DRX vs C9 match boils down to the rosters. Cloud9 now has a pretty much new roster thanks to the Riot Games partnership program. With Zellsis and yay now in the squad, they surely are a force to be reckoned with. But the same DRX roster has been playing together since VCT 2021. There are few teams that come close in terms of co-ordination and that was well displayed at Valorant Champions 2022. This should be a close encounter but we feel like DRX is making it into the quarterfinals from here.

Don’t believe us? We got both our predictions right last night!

DRX is confident they can avenge PRX with this hilarious post tweeted earlier today:

Evil Geniuses vs Talon Esports

We’ll be finishing the night off with the last match between Evil Geniuses and Talon Esports.

Probable Lineups

Evil Geniuses
  • Kelden “Boostio“Pupello (IGL)
  • Corbin “C0M” Lee
  • Alexander “jawgemo” Mor
  • Brendan “BcJ” Jensen
  • Ethan “Ethan” Arnold
Talon Esports
  • Itthirit “foxz” Ngamsaard (IGL)
  • Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut
  • Apiwat “garnetS” Apiraksukumal
  • Jittana “JitboyS” Nokngam
  • Panyawat “Sushiboys” Subsiriroj

Our Prediction

Both Evil Geniuses and Talon won their opening matches 2-0, against Heretics and MIBR respectively. The teams seem quite equal in terms of the performance they have displayed so far in the tournament.

The most impressive aspect about Evil Geniuses is the fact that they have a stacked 9-man roster. So, for Talon it’s gonna be hard to predict the lineup of EG. Ethan and BcJ brings a wealth of experience in the lineup which will be crucial for their run here. But let’s not count out Talon Esports. The Thai boys have showed nothing but courage and co-ordination in their opening match against the locals, MIBR. Former XERXIA man, Sushiboys was crowned the MVP of the match. A lot rests on his shoulders tonight as they’ll try to see it through at the series. Evil Geniuses on paper have more experience and firepower, so they should be clinching a spot at the quarterfinals.

Guess only time will tell if we get our predictions right tonight as well!

 

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