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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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VCT EMEA 2023 Week 5 Final Day Predictions

We are heading our way into the final day of week 5 of VCT EMEA 2023. With FUT Esports facing Fnatic and Team Vitality going up against Natus Vincere, who will be our winners of the night? We bring you our VCT EMEA predictions of the day!

VCT EMEA Predictions

Our two matchups of the day are FUT Esports vs Fnatic & Team Vitality vs Natus Vincere. Check out the timings and be sure to tune in!

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

Prediction

Let’s kick off our VCT EMEA Predictions with our prediction on FUT Esports vs Fnatic. According to the current standings of the tournament, Fnatic are at the top of the table thanks to their unbeaten run. Meanwhile, FUT Esports are sitting currently on fourth position. The biggest flex for Fnatic so far at the tournament is the fact they have lost only one map so far. They have been spotless despite not being able to play with their preferred lineup in the opening week. But Alfajer is back after his visa issues have been sorted. Their confidence is further boosted knowing that FUT is heading into this match after losing their last one 2-0 against Giants.

The two teams have not faced each other in a competitive match before. A lot will rest on the shoulders of qw1 today as his team hopes that he puts on a terrific show. Keeping Fnatic’s dominant form in consideration, we honestly don’t see how Fnatic will bottle this matchup. We’re predicting a rather comfortable 2-0 victory for Fnatic.

Check out more esports news at our blog!

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

Prediction

Our second VCT EMEA prediction is of the matchup between rivals Vitality and NaVi. Natus Vincere is currently sitting pretty at second on the table with Team Vitality on fifth position. So, it goes without saying that NaVi have turned more heads at the tournament so far. They are on a four-match winning streak and don’t look to give that up any time soon.

These two teams have only faced each other once before at the G-Loot Valorant Clash where NaVi won 2-0. On paper NaVi are definitely the better team on Valorant and their current form certainly says so. Vitality is expected to put up a fight but Zyppan & co. should walk away from this series with a 2-1 win over their opponents.

 

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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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Bind Is Returning To Valorant’s Competitive Queue

For those who have missed it, Bind is coming back to Valorant’s competitive queue. Patch 6.08 will bring back the map along with a few changes here and there. The patch is set to release in April on April 25.

About Bind

Bind was one of the first maps on Valorant that has been available since the closed beta. Set in a Moroccan desert town, the map features two bomb sites: A and B. The map heavily favors aggressive gameplay as map control is crucial here to win rounds.

However, it’s also important for players to be cautious and aware of their surroundings, as there are plenty of areas for enemies to hide and ambush from. The most unique aspect of Bind is the presence of teleporters. Using and taking control of these teleporters is crucial as well. If you can control the teleporters, you’ll have a major advantage in terms of map control and the ability to surprise your opponents. These teleporters can be utilized to quickly rotate and plant on another site as well before the defenders can relocate. Thanks to the teleporters, there’s a lot of room for creative gameplay and players can utilize multiple strategies to outsmart opponents.

On that note, teleporters will see a slight change in the coming update. Let’s find out all the changes coming to Bind

Bind’s Return To Competitive Queue

Bind is returning to the competitive queue with some changes coming.

The first change is of the teleporter which is now placed closer to the bath entrance.

The bath now comes with bigger doors as well on both sides. A wall and back wall of the A site will be seeing changes as well.

We’re not even done with the A site yet. The A site Radianite crates have been changed in terms of shape. Changes are coming to the B site as well.

With Bind returning to the competitive queue soon, do you think these are welcome changes? Let us know in the comments!

 

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Fnatic vs LOUD At VCT 2023: Lock In

After almost three weeks in the tournament, we had our two finalists of VCT 2023: Lock In. It was Fnatic vs LOUD at the grand finals of VCT 2023: Lock In. Did the winners of Valorant Champions 2022 pick up another title or did Fnatic complete their dream run? Let’s find out more!

Fnatic vs LOUD

Rosters

LOUD

  • Erick ‘aspas‘ Santos
  • Felipe ‘Less‘ Basso
  • Matias ‘saadhak‘ Delipetro
  • Cauan ‘cauanzin‘ Pereira
  • Arthur ‘tuyz‘ Vieira

Fnatic

  • Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett
  • Nikita ‘Derke‘ Sirmitev
  • Emir ‘Alfajer‘ Ali Beder
  • Leo ‘Leo‘ Jannesson
  • Timofey ‘Chronicle‘ Khromov

Map Picks & Bans

  • LOUD banned Haven
  • FNC banned Pearl
  • LOUD picked Ascent
  • FNC picked Fracture
  • LOUD picked Split
  • FNC picked Lotus
  • Icebox remained

The Series

Map 1 (Ascent)

Ascent started with LOUD on attack. But it was Fnatic that picked up the first two pistol rounds with a retake on the first. LOUD responded but only for a while as they won the next two rounds. Fnatic then picked up the next five rounds including two successful retakes. The first half ended 8-4 in favor of Fnatic. It was LOUD at the start of the second half that won the first two pistols. But Fnatic kept their cool and closed out their first map 13-8. Eventually, it was Fnatic winning LOUD’s first map pick. It was Leo that put up a stellar performance for Fnatic vs LOUD in the first map.

Map 2 (Fracture)

Fracture was the second map in the series of LOUD vs Fnatic. Fnatic, yet again, picked up the first two rounds starting on attack. The first half was crazy with both teams not allowing the other to consistently win rounds. The first half of the second map ended 6-6. The second half started in favor of Fnatic yet again as they won the pistols. LOUD could show little resistance in the second half as Fnatic kept on seeing out rounds. The second map ended 13-7 in favor of Fnatic as they were now up 2-0 in the series. Just one more map win and they win the title!

Map 3 (Split)

It was LOUD on attack again as the match started on Split. LOUD showed nothing but resilience and courage in the first half. While Fnatic tried to break them down, LOUD seemed to be formidable. The first half ended 7-5 in favor of LOUD. LOUD maintained their consistency winning the first three rounds of the second half as well including two defuses. Fnatic tried to make a comeback into the map but it was too little, too late. LOUD put down a few more successful defuses and won the map 13-9. It was none other than Less that put up a show on Split.

Map 4 (Lotus)

It was time for the battleground to be Valorant’s latest map. At this point, Fnatic had been accustomed to winning the opening pistol rounds. And they did it yet again! But this time, they followed it up winning round three too. LOUD, however, decided to put their game faces on. They won six rounds straight with absolute ease. Fnatic could barely respond as the first half finished 7-5 in favor of LOUD. Fnatic started the second half well, leveling the score at 7-7 by winning the pistols. But this time, it was LOUD that taught Fnatic a thing or two about retakes. Half of the rounds they won in the second half were retakes. Eventually, LOUD won the map 13-8. It was now onto Icebox- the decider map.

Map 5 (Icebox)

When it was needed the most, LOUD won the first two pistols on Icebox. Fnatic managed to win the third round by resisting a plant from LOUD. But it was not nearly enough as LOUD steamrolled over Fnatic in the first half. LOUD won the first half on a scoreline of 9-3. LOUD started the second half winning the pistols as well. But then, the unthinkable happened. Never in LOUD’s wildest dreams could they think of a Fnatic comeback. Fnatic screamed aggression as they won not one… not two…. but nine rounds straight. With LOUD picking up a much-needed round, it was now time for the only overtime of the night.

LOUD started on attack this time in overtime. In the first round of overtime, both Derke and Aspas made a statement but it was Leo that had the last laugh killing aspas and winning the first round. It was Fnatic on attack this time. A calm and collected push into the B site saw Fnatic bulldozing over the LOUD roster. And with that, Fnatic won Icebox and consequently, the VCT 2023: Lock In.

For Chronicle, it’s the first time ever that a player has lifted two Valorant trophies. Nothing but ecstasy for Boaster as well as he finally lifts up a trophy.

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Global Esports Valorant Roster’s VCT Debut At LOCK//IN

The Indian franchise team, Global Esports’ Valorant roster performed at an S-Tier tournament for the first time. The SEA representatives faced Team Vitality in a round of 32 match of Group Omega. How did the Asian team perform and did they meet the expectations? Find out!

Global Esports vs Team Vitality

It was an Asia vs Europe affair as  the Valorant roster of Global Esports faced Team Vitality. This was the first match of Global Esports at a tournament of this scale. On the other hand, Vitality is an organization that is well accustomed to playing top tournaments. Both the teams have fresh rosters with new recruits, so it was surely exciting to see the two teams clash.

Map Picks & Bans

  • GE bans Ascent
  • VIT bans Icebox
  • GE picks Split
  • VIT picks Pearl
  • GE bans Haven
  • VIT bans Fracture
  • Lotus remains

Rosters

Let’s take a look at the lineups of the two teams of last night.

Global Esports

  • Jordan “AYRIN” He (IGL)
  • Ganesh “SkRossi” Gangadhar
  • Kim “t3xture” Na-ra
  • Park “Bazzi” Jun-ki
  • Cahya “Monyet” Nugraha

Team Vitality

  • Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi (IGL)
  • Jokūbas “ceNder” Labutis
  • Michał “MOLSI” Łącki
  • Tomas “Destrian” Linikas
  • Karel “Twisten” Ašenbrener

The Series

Let’s check out how the series went between Team Vitality and Global Esports at Valorant Lock In.

Map 1 (Split)

The first map of the series started with Global Esports on defense. They won the first round with a successful defuse. But Vitality didn’t seem to be bothered as they picked up the next four rounds with ease. Global Esports showed little resistance picking up only two other rounds for the rest of the first half. The first half ended 9-3 in favor of Team Vitality. Global started the second half winning the first pistol round too- a ray of hope for the Asian fans. But Vitality buried all of those hopes and dreams for Global Esports as they didn’t take long to reach 13 round wins. The first map ended 13-4 in favor of Team Vitality.

Map 2 (Pearl)

Pearl began with Global Esports now on attack. This time, they managed to pick up the first two pistol rounds showing quite the determination. Vitality then responded picking up two rounds of their own as the scores leveled. Vitality started to pick up pace on defense and the first half ended 7-5 in favor of the boys from Europe. The second half started in favor of Global Esports yet again as they again won both the pistol rounds. From that point onwards, Global Esports looked like a more refined roster as they kept dominating Team Vitality. They got down a bunch of defuses in the second half as they picked up the second map.

With the map score being 1-1, it was now time for the decider. Can the Indian organization cause a Global upset (see what we did there?) or can Vitality pick up the expected result?

Map 3 (Lotus)

Global Esports just seemed to be dominated pistol rounds as they started off Lotus winning the first two rounds yet again. But Vitality responded when it was needed the most. They showed everyone who’s the boss with sheer firepower picking up round after round in the first half. The first half ended 8-4 in favor of Vitality. The second half started with Global yet again picking up the pistol rounds. And while they were hoping to gain some momentum, Team Vitality turned the game around again. They took the next four rounds without pause as they closed the decider map 13-6.

With the series closed, Team Vitality moves onto the round of 16 of VCT Lock In.

With their win in this series, Vitality aren’t the only victors of the night. Their next round opponent, Leviathan also picked up a 2-0 win over ZETA. The round of 16 also welcomes two other teams- FUT Esports and 100 Thieves. Team Vitality will be facing Leviathan tomorrow night in the round of 16.

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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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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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