OpTic Gaming secure a spot at Stage 2 - Masters Copenhagen
After a month of intense, grueling battles between the best Valorant teams in North America, the first team to qualify for VCT 2022 - Stage 2 - Masters Copenhagen has been decided and its none other than OpTic Gaming, the winners of VCT 2022 - Stage 1 - Masters Reykjavík. Their run in Stage 2 VCT started from the Main Event itself, where they maintained a 4-1 record in the Group Stages to secure a spot at Upper Bracket Round 2 as the #1 seed in Group B.
They won the matchup against Evil Geniuses and XSET won one against 100 Thieves to be matched up in the finals for a chance to proceed to the Grand Finals, while also earning a spot at VCT 2022 - Stage 2 - Masters Copenhagen.
Haven:
Proceedings began on Haven; OpTic’s map pick and they wasted no time in establishing momentum early on. They took the first couple of rounds but were stopped in their tracks by XSET fueled by collective effort the roster but also a great showing from Rory "dephh" Jackson.
However, OpTic was able to retain their position by taking almost five consecutive rounds to elevate their score to 7. Before they could make the damage worse, XSET sneaked in a couple more rounds to keep the score difference to a minimum.
When both teams changed sides, a wild beast within XSET awakened and they turned the tables by embarking on an eight-round streak to close out the map. Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban was crucial to their offensive run with as he concluded the half with 1.93 Rating, and 335 ACS. He also had a mind-blowing 6 KD since he only died twice in the eight rounds.
Icebox:
Both teams then moved to Icebox, which was XSET’s map pick. They started off with an easy pistol round but were caught off-guard by OpTic taking four back-to-back rounds. Nonetheless, they managed to retake the momentum and secure six rounds to finish the half with a 7-5 lead. Once again, Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban’s use of Chambers abilities was vital in stringing through the run on Offense.
OpTic having a plethora of tournament experience managed to comeback in the second half. They started the second half with a quick couple of rounds before XSET retaliated with three consecutive rounds in an attempt to close out the map but Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker, also known as El Diablo, was able to put the team on his back carrying them through four subsequent rounds to take the lead 12-10. XSET could only win this map by first forcing Overtime, but they only took one round allowing OpTic to sealing the win on Icebox and tying up the series.
Ascent:
Ascent, OpTic’s map pick, was the next to host both teams in the Upper Bracket Finals. XSET started on defense and given the ending of last map, they were more vigilant on Defense taking one round after another. Despite OpTic’s attempts to exploit the Defense’s vulnerabilities, they were only able to take a total of three rounds by halftime putting them in a six-round deficit going into the second half.
Since XSET had demonstrated a fascinating performance on Defense, OpTic now had the opportunity to replicate it and they wasted no time doing it. Winning the pistol round without breaking a sweat enabled their phenomenal run throughout the half, which included a four-round streak followed a brief hiatus and then a five-round streak.
This resulted in a 12-10 score with OpTic in the lead, a similar narrative to Icebox and the outcome was no different as OpTic closed out their second map taking the upper hand in the matchup.
Breeze:
With one map win from qualifying for VCT 2022 - Stage 2 - Masters Copenhagen, OpTic increased the pace of their gameplay by ramping up their aggression. XSET, however, wasn’t ready to give up that easily and decided to start the map with an easy couple of rounds.
OpTic then took six rounds under their banner courtesy of Victor "Victor" Wong’s performance on Jett. They had enough momentum to continue the streak till halftime, but an intense battle ensued on rounds 9 and 10. OpTic retained their momentum and secure the subsequent couple of rounds to finish the half with an 8-4 lead.
As the second half started, XSET realized the predicament they were in and the opportunity to secure a spot at Copenhagen was dissipating. They tried to return the favor OpTic had bestowed on them in the first half, but losing the pistol round made establishing control difficult and OpTic being the dominant offensive team they are did not hesitate to take five rounds and put an end to the matchup while limiting XSET to a total of six rounds.
Latest News
Comments
vct 2023
For all information about the VCT 2023, check out our VCT Hub. There you will find our FAQ to answer all of your questions and details about the teams, different Leagues, and more.