LOUD and Fnatic survive Lower Brackets, EDward Gaming and DRX wave goodbye to Los Angeles

As we navigate the remaining days of VCT 2023 - Champions, the Playoff landscape is gradually coming into focus. The eagerly awaited end of the prestigious VALORANT Champions Tour 2023 remains a riveting spectacle, encaptivating fans across the globe with enthralling matchups that consistently live up to expectations. Today showcased the unfolding drama of the Lower Bracket Round 2 clashes, a pivotal juncture where two teams reluctantly bid farewell to their championship aspirations. Ultimately, it was EDward Gaming and DRX who found themselves exiting the competition, their journey reaching its conclusion.

Here is the matchup lineup for today:

• EDward Gaming vs LOUD
• Fnatic vs DRX

EDward Gaming vs LOUD

VCT 2023 - Champions

LOUD

2

X

1

EDward Gaming

Lower Bracket Round 2 of 4, Best of 3 - August 20, 2023 - 7:00PM

11

Bind

13

13

Ascent

5

13

Haven

11

LOUD

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

cauanzin

1.26

232

58/41/18

+17

1.41

74.1%

139.7

30%

58%

7

5

tuyz

1.20

209

51/41/26

+10

1.24

72.7%

133.0

37%

50%

5

5

aspas

1.09

214

55/41/5

+14

1.34

75.0%

146.9

22%

71%

10

4

Less

1.05

223

48/46/14

+2

1.04

73.6%

151.3

21%

77%

10

3

Saadhak

0.98

183

32/45/45

-13

0.71

76.9%

122.7

20%

41%

7

10

EDward Gaming

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Smoggy

1.16

238

55/49/22

+6

1.12

68.1%

164.9

35%

44%

4

5

ZmjjKK

0.99

224

53/52/9

+1

1.02

58.3%

145.8

16%

45%

10

12

nobody

0.88

186

41/52/20

-11

0.79

73.6%

129.1

37%

47%

8

9

CHICHOO

0.82

171

38/42/20

-4

0.90

67.6%

120.4

23%

0%

0

6

Haodong

0.76

127

27/49/37

-22

0.55

71.8%

82.4

30%

42%

5

7

Heading into the tournament, the Chinese region was represented by two teams, both lacking the substantial support that some of the more established names in the international scene enjoyed. Yet, against all odds, both EDward Gaming and Bilibili Gaming defied skepticism by not only advancing out of the Group Stages but also securing spots in the Playoffs, achieving a remarkable top 10 placement in the event. The Lower Bracket Round 1 saw these two teams face off, with EDward Gaming eventually advancing to Round 2, where they squared off against the well-known Brazilian powerhouse, LOUD. This encounter came after the Brazilian team was relegated to the Lower Bracket following a closely contested defeat against Paper Rex.

The matchup began on Bind, a map where the momentum swung back and forth, resulting in a tied score at halftime. However, as EDward Gaming assumed the Defensive side, they managed to gain an early upper hand in the match's trajectory. Although LOUD quickly neutralized the lead, they struggled to close out the map. Key contributions from Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang guided EDward Gaming to a lead. The action then transitioned to Ascent, LOUD's map choice, triggering a dramatic shift in the narrative. Despite conceding initial rounds, LOUD orchestrated an overwhelming display, dominating the map with each attempt at a comeback thwarted. The entire LOUD team elevated their performance to make such a commanding victory possible, with Arthur "tuyz" Vieira leading the charge, especially on Offense, where he consistently survived rounds while eliminating eight opponents along the way.

The decisive map was Haven, and it didn't disappoint in delivering excitement. Despite losing a map previously, EDward Gaming entered the map with unwavering determination, maintaining a tied score going into the second half. Regrettably, their Defense was no match for LOUD's relentless aggression on Offense. As the second half unfolded, the Brazilians watched as the match slipped through their fingers. The scoreboard transitioned from 6-6 to 11-6, then eventually steadied at 11-9, before concluding with a 13-11 victory for LOUD. With this triumph, LOUD advanced to Round 3 of the Lower Brackets, showcasing their prowess and setting the stage for further intense clashes.

Fnatic vs DRX

VCT 2023 - Champions

DRX

1

X

2

Fnatic

Lower Bracket Round 2 of 4, Best of 3 - August 20, 2023 - 10:20PM

13

Bind

1

9

Haven

13

6

Split

13

DRX

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

MaKo

1.29

247

47/38/22

+9

1.24

72.0%

149.7

32%

38%

3

5

stax

0.97

178

37/38/10

-1

0.97

69.3%

111.6

31%

50%

1

1

BuZz

0.80

186

34/38/10

-4

0.89

65.5%

118.3

19%

43%

9

12

Zest

0.79

153

31/42/13

-11

0.74

60.8%

97.6

40%

31%

4

9

Rb

0.57

144

25/33/4

-8

0.76

61.0%

103.3

25%

36%

4

7

Fnatic

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Leo

1.25

204

45/30/27

+15

1.50

82.0%

133.3

34%

100%

2

0

Chronicle

0.97

188

35/35/20

0

1.00

78.7%

119.2

22%

75%

6

2

Boaster

0.91

174

32/41/27

-9

0.78

69.0%

111.7

19%

73%

8

3

Derke

0.91

187

38/33/8

+5

1.15

72.0%

126.6

25%

54%

13

11

Alfajer

0.90

182

39/35/8

+4

1.11

63.5%

124.3

31%

50%

5

5

Fnatic entered the tournament with a resounding reputation, regarded as arguably the best team in the world. Their recent triumph in Masters Tokyo had only solidified this status, setting the stage for a Group Stage experience in Los Angeles that felt rather untroubled. The true test for Fnatic materialized when they clashed with LOUD, a showdown that pushed them into the Lower Brackets during the initial Playoff confrontation. However, the EMEA giants navigated their share of upsets with poise, diving headfirst into a Lower Bracket journey, dismantling FUT Esports and, more notably, conquering DRX in a riveting match.

Bind was the first to host both teams, as decided on by Fnatic. The choice did not produce the outcome they were hoping for as the Korean teams went on a rampage, as their Defense held back Fnatic one round after another, and another. The scoreboard was heavily skewed in DRX’s favor with it reading 11-1 by halftime, and 13-2 not shortly after. This served as a much needed wake up call for Fnatic, but the change they needed did not happen drastically as DRX were still feeding off of the momentum during the first half of Haven and managed to keep the score tied by halftime. It is then that Fnatic snapped and unleashed their much familiar version, closing out the map on 13-9 and forcing the matchup to progress to Split, the decider.

DRX looked to seek redemption for the slip up on Haven, and their grit noticed some success in the first half with the score reading 5-7. However, the second half for them seemed to go by in almost a complete blur. Leo "Leo" Jannesson was everywhere. He finished the half with 13 kills in just 7 rounds, on a single death as well. For the map alone, he had 2.09 rating on 326 ACS and 3.57 KD, stats that corroborate his fluent gameplay and understanding of the game.

Check out our VALORANT Champions event page for stats, the bracket, and schedule of the event.

Featured image photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games