NA Challengers Stage 1 Main Event - Week 1 Group B Recap

Unlike the Group A matches, which we discussed in a previous article, Group B had relatively more interesting matchups with two of the three going to decider maps with an extremely close scoreline.

Version1 vs Pittsburgh Knights:

The first matchup of this group was perhaps the least eventful out of the three since Version1 severely restricted the Knights’ control over the momentum by not allowing them to win back-to-back rounds in either of the two maps. The matchup began on Ascent, which was the Knights map pick.

As teams left the gate for the pistol round, Knights were able to take the first map. But the following rounds weren’t as rewarding as Version1 took round after round till the 6th one. Following that round, each team decided to alternate between taking rounds to prevent the opposing team from completely dominating the map. At the end of the half, the score was 8-4 to Version1. Pittsburgh Knights could still come back in the matchup, but Version1 had different plans. Following the halftime break, they took five back-to-back rounds to finish the map.

When the matchup transitioned to Icebox, Version1’s map, everyone knew that the Knights were in an even worse spot. Straight out of the gate, Version1 took six back-to-back rounds taking hold of the momentum earlier on. Although the Knights were able to force a win on the 7th round, they couldn’t stop Version1 and by the end of the half, the score was 10-2. On defense as well, Version1 was able to keep the momentum finishing the map with a 13-2 score.

Sentinels vs NRG Esports:

With the winners of VCT 2021 - Stage 2 - Masters Reykjavík and participants of VCT 2021 - VALORANT Champions 2021 going against a team with a relatively weaker tournament history, the expectations for this matchup were extremely ‘one-sided’. However, as the matchup started to play out, the audience was left mind-blown. Before we dive into the details of this matchup, it is worth keeping in mind that Sentinels picked Fracture, NRG Esports chose Haven, and Bind emerged as the decider map.

With Fracture, being Sentinels map pick, they were the obvious favorites. Nonetheless, NRG Esports didn’t let this fact get to them as demonstrated by the performance they had on the first half. Their brick-like defense prevented Sentinels from executing any offensive play so much so that at halftime the score read 9-3 with NRG in the lead. As the roles changed and Sentinels went on defense, the momentum switched hands as well. Even though their run wasn’t as lethal as NRG, they were able to reach double-digits before NRG finally finished the map with a 13-10 score.

Being veterans of the game, Sentinels realized the importance of the second map on the matchup. After evaluating the caliber of NRG’s performance in the first map, they had to come up with an effective counterstrategy if they wanted to win the matchup. As the proceedings began on Haven, it became evident why this was NRG’s pick. The reformed Sentinel’s defense couldn’t keep up with NRG’s attack and fell to it several times, but the entire half wasn’t one-sided either as the scoreboard read 7-5 at halftime. To win the map, Sentinels needed to win eight rounds and prevent NRG from winning six of their own. They barely managed to do that. Though Sentinels were clearly dominating the latter half, NRG was able to sneak in four victories putting the map at risk of overtime. Sentinels decided to end the map and tie the series 1-1.

Matchups going to deciders are always entertaining, and this one didn’t fail to disappoint either. As opposed to the NRG dominance the audience witnessed in the first halves on previous maps, it was Sentinels who took the charge with almost eleven consecutive rounds (6th one was taken by NRG). At halftime, the score read 11-1 with Sentinels being two away from taking the win. NRG wasn’t planning on giving up without a fight as they managed to turn the tables as soon as they left the gate in the second half. They won 6 back-to-back rounds and at round 21 they sat within reaching distance of Sentinels. Tyson "TenZ" Ngo took charge and decided to finish the map on a 13-9 score, a 1.42 Rating, 306 ACS, and 1.53 KD.

OpTic Gaming vs Rise:

The final Group B matchup of this weekend also went to the decider map. As you might already know, OpTic Gaming acquired Envy’s roster so they are still the same team that placed 2nd at VCT 2021 - Stage 3 - Masters Berlin - Playoffs and one that qualified for VCT 2021 - VALORANT Champions 2021. Their opponents and the winners of this matchup were Rise, a high-standing team in the NA circuit points leaderboard in VCT 2021 and 2nd at VCT 2021 - North America Last Chance Qualifier.

The battle commenced on Bind, Rise’s map pick, and they were eager to prove why that was the case. OpTic, with the likes of El diablo in their team, managed to take the first couple of rounds without hesitation and were leading 4-1 by round 5. Rise had settled in by that time and was ready to strike back, which they did – at least till halftime. A 7-5 score isn’t very concerning in most competitive matches, but OpTic decided to pursue an aggressive mentality going into the second half to finish the game as soon as possible. It worked out, but only momentarily. They were able to take four back-to-back rounds and 9-7 only to be overpowered by Rise in the upcoming rounds and not have another opportunity to turn the game around. Rise finished the map 13-10, upsetting one of the best teams in the NA.

Given that Haven was OpTic’s pick meant that Rise would’ve to work hard to restrict the decider map. However, this meant that OpTic would’ve to put in more effort as well. The result of hard work from both teams resulted in a 6-6 score at halftime. Each team wanted to drive the momentum in their favor from the start of the second half but it was OpTic that got hold of it earlier on losing it to Rise for a 4 round streak and 10-8 trail. The opTic was in a bad spot. The match was slipping from their grip, and they desperately needed a comeback, which courtesy of Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker wasn’t impossible. The team finished the map with a 12-11 score with Yay having a 1.22 rating and 254 ACS.

Ascent was chosen as the decider. Both teams were on equal footing with the series tied at 1-1, which meant that this map was equally important for both the teams to dominate in. Proceedings on the map began with each team trading two rounds apiece until round 10, wherein Rise took an extra round to finish the round at 7-5 instead of 6-6 if the pattern would’ve continued. OpTic still had the perfect opportunity to come back given their star-studded roster; however, Rise managed to penetrate their defenses and take home the victory 13-9. Jason "neptune" Tran finished the game with a magnificent 1.36 Rating, 276 ACS, and 1.38 KD.