NAVI sweep Liquid, DRX overcome LOUD in Champions opening day

VCT 2023 - Champions has finally began as VALORANT fans all over the world rejoice. With a packed VALORANT Champions schedule with the very best teams gathered in one spot, the opening day did not fail to provide the emotions and action we were all expecting.

The first day saw the following matches take place:

• Natus Vincere vs. Team Liquid
• DRX vs. LOUD

Natus Vincere vs. Team Liquid

VCT 2023 - Champions

Team Liquid

0

X

2

Natus Vincere

Group D - Opening Match, Best of 3 - August 6, 2023 - 7:00PM

11

Fracture

13

15

Bind

17

Team Liquid

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

nAts

1.27

263

54/39/10

+15

1.38

78.7%

171.7

31%

62%

8

5

Sayf

1.03

205

40/41/18

-1

0.98

78.1%

145.5

20%

44%

4

5

Jamppi

0.86

194

38/38/4

0

1.00

61.5%

124.6

20%

50%

8

8

Redgar

0.75

153

29/42/19

-13

0.69

68.2%

107.4

31%

42%

5

7

soulcas

0.67

127

24/33/17

-9

0.73

64.1%

76.3

44%

50%

3

3

Natus Vincere

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

SUYGETSU

1.06

192

41/28/14

+13

1.46

78.1%

134.9

40%

60%

3

2

ANGE1

1.03

200

39/42/21

-3

0.93

74.5%

137.3

31%

50%

7

7

Shao

0.97

183

36/38/19

-2

0.95

77.1%

126.3

27%

56%

5

4

cNed

0.93

184

38/34/12

+4

1.12

76.0%

118.7

27%

40%

4

6

Zyppan

0.92

208

39/43/6

-4

0.91

59.4%

145.2

24%

50%

9

9

The opening matchup saw an extremely tight two maps being played. With a 13-11 Fracture win for NAVI, a humongous overtime transpired on Bind, which saw NAVI clinch the map and series at a 17-15 dub. Despite the 0:2 loss for Liquid, the match may have swung either way.

Even though Liquid lost the series, Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin was the standout player in the series. Having accumulated a rating of 1.27 playing with 8 first bloods and an average damage per round of 171.7.

DRX vs. LOUD

VCT 2023 - Champions

DRX

2

X

1

LOUD

Group D - Opening Match, Best of 3 - August 6, 2023 - 10:15PM

13

Lotus

15

13

Split

6

13

Ascent

8

DRX

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Zest

1.12

229

51/50/25

+1

1.02

73.4%

158.0

29%

42%

5

7

MaKo

1.10

187

44/40/30

+4

1.10

72.6%

114.4

31%

33%

1

2

stax

1.07

189

49/48/22

+1

1.02

68.0%

124.5

34%

40%

4

6

Rb

1.01

206

49/43/16

+6

1.14

67.1%

134.6

23%

36%

4

7

BuZz

0.99

214

48/55/15

-7

0.87

62.8%

132.3

20%

44%

14

18

LOUD

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

aspas

1.27

257

61/51/21

+10

1.20

78.5%

174.1

23%

64%

14

8

cauanzin

1.13

207

49/48/31

+1

1.02

70.3%

130.3

20%

70%

7

3

Less

1.05

201

49/49/18

0

1.00

74.6%

129.1

25%

50%

6

6

tuyz

1.00

162

40/48/39

-8

0.83

76.5%

100.8

26%

54%

7

6

Saadhak

0.76

153

37/45/15

-8

0.82

69.5%

101.8

18%

50%

6

6

The second match saw the Korean giants go up against the reigning VALORANT Champions of 2022, LOUD. Yet another overtime in the day saw the first map of the series get clinched by LOUD, their own map pick with a 15-13 following Erick "aspas" Santos' heroics as Raze. DRX punched back on Split with a comfortable 13-6 dub to send us to the decider. Then, on Ascent, a tug of war emerged, but it was DRX that finally closed out the map in their favor 13-8.

Yet again, it was the losing team that had the MVP of the match, and to nobody's surprise, it was aspas.

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