On map one, Fracture, C9 sought to change the roles of Rahul “curry” Nemani and Anthony “vanity” Malaspina, reverting the IGL to the controller (Brim) and bringing curry to the initiator via Breach.

LG’s attack was not slowed by the shift, with Kaleb “moose” Jayne making major winning plays throughout crucial full buy rounds and C9 tossing away several rounds late to go down 8�C4 at halftime. Despite this, C9 managed to stage a comeback on the attack side, and the game was tied at 11�C11.

LG, on the other hand, held off two consecutive A smashes to win the game 13�C11.

C9’s enthusiasm following their comeback attempt carried across to Icebox, who got off to a strong start on attack. Early on, C9 thrived at gaining map control and getting entry kills, but LG were able to recoup owing to great playmaking and retaking spearheaded by Tanner “TiGG” Spanu (Sova) and Adam “mada” Pampuch (Jett), giving LG a 7�C5 halftime advantage.
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C9 came back with some big rounds to grab a brief lead, but LG closed out the series with a 13�C9 triumph on Icebox due to a run of solid attack rounds.

Luminosity announced their plan?to exit?VALORANT for the “foreseeable future” just days before the commencement of the group stage’s fourth week of matches, ahead of the?Riot-run partnered VCT system, which is expected to begin in 2023. The organization stated that the roster would continue playing?under LG still?for the duration of the stage and that it is proactively looking for a new home for the players. The LG players qualified for the playoffs with a 3�C1 record, and if they defeat OpTic next week and Evil Geniuses lose, they could claim the Group B first seed.

C9 are out till the Last Chance Qualifier after losing their last three games since?giving Son “xeta” Seon-ho to T1 in a VALORANT?trade that netted them curry.

NA VCT Stage 2 playoffs set up with 12 teams

With OpTic Gaming’s victory at VCT Masters Reykjavik, all eyes are on North America, which won its second international VALORANT LAN title in Iceland. The main event of the NA VCT Stage 2 Challengers is set up, with 12 teams competing in a round-robin group stage before a double-elimination playoff bracket.

With only two stages scheduled for the 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour, everything is on the line for these teams hoping to compete at the Masters and Champions at the end of the year.

The 12 teams competing in the main event of the North American VCT Stage 2 Challengers are as follows: OpTic Gaming, The Guard, Cloud9, XSET, NRG Esports, FaZe Clan, TSM, Luminosity Gaming, 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses, Ghost Gaming, Sentinels.

After finishing in the top four in NA VCT Stage 1, OpTic, The Guard, Cloud9, and XSET were invited to the main event. NRG, FaZe, TSM, and Luminosity came through the first open qualifier, while 100T, EG, Ghost, and Sentinels emerged from the second.

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Their first attempt to clinch a Stage 2 Challengers berth in the Open Qualifier 1 failed, as they finished one spot out of the top four. TSM were their nemesis in the tournament, as they sustained two losses at their hands.

The first loss came in the first game of the Top 16, relegating them to the lower bracket. After a series of victories against Gen.G Esports, Evil Geniuses, and Knights, they were one victory away from qualification.

However, they had to face TSM once again and managed to win only one map in the best-of-three series.

Despite that loss, 100 Thieves did not let their heads drop. They came back stronger in Open Qualifier 2, putting together a near-perfect run.

Their first game in the Top 16 ended in a sweep over Soniqs, in what was a dominant win on both maps. On Breeze, they won 13-4, sealing the deal on Fracture with a 13-3 victory.

NYFU put up a better fight in the second round, winning the first map, Split. 100T quickly turned things around to win the next two maps.

Their final match to secure a berth was the most intriguing. With their map veto, Akrew chose Split, but it ended in favor of 100T 13-7. On Breeze, 100 Thieves were determined to close out the series in exquisite fashion and they did just that, ending the tie with a 13-1 victory.

They are currently one of two teams that have secured their spot in the VCT Stage 2 Challengers. There is still a lot of action in the lower bracket before the final two participants will be revealed.

Qualification is a big boost for 100 Thieves, especially considering the number of changes to the roster and at management level since the 2021 VCT Masters Berlin.

The NA Challengers 2 will commence on May 13, long after the final two teams have been decided. The 12 teams will be split into two groups, with the top four in each advancing to the playoffs.

Each team will be fighting for a larger piece of the US$200,000 prize pool, as well as direct seeding to the Stage 2 Masters, reserved only for the best two teams.

Whoever makes it to the grand final is guaranteed participation in the Masters. However, a first-place finish will see the winning team walk away with $50,000.

So far, 100 Thieves have only 15 circuit points and are ninth in the NA rankings. For a shot at competing in the Valorant Champions, they need to put together stellar performances in the upcoming tournaments.

If they manage to win the Masters 2, they will get 1,000 points to add to their current tally. OpTic Gaming are currently sitting atop the NA rankings with 750 points obtained after winning the 2022 Masters Reykjavik.

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After an intense four-day marathon, NRG, FaZe Clan, TSM, and Luminosity have clinched their spots in the NA Stage 2 Challengers. They have joined The Guard, OpTic Gaming, Cloud9, and XSET, the top four teams from NA Challengers 1, two of who participated in the just-concluded 2022 Masters Reykjavik.

OpTic showed out for the entire NA region, winning the Stage 1 Masters over the team from Brazil LOUD. Coming into the Grand Final, LOUD were the favorites, but OpTic completed the sweep in the best-of-five series.

That said, the winners from the Open Qualifier 1 will also have a shot at reaching the Masters and ultimately getting points for the 2022 Valorant Champions.

Meanwhile, four more teams are expected to join the tournament before the contest begins. Only eight of the 12 teams needed have secured their spot in the Stage 2 Challengers. Another riveting four-day tournament will see 128 teams slug it out to finish in the top four. The Open Qualifier 2 will commence on May 5 and will run through to May 8.

NRG, FaZe Clan, TSM, and Luminosity Gaming had a difficult run in the Round 16 bracket but successfully soldiered through. They were not the favorites to win, as they faced tougher opponents. However, they all managed to pull off the spectacular.

While they all had tough opponents, NRG and FaZe Clan played fewer games to secure their spot in the NA Challengers 2. They made it through the Upper Bracket.

Despite the difficulty, NRG did not give up a single map, sweeping Zero MarksMen Black in the first round, Knights, in the second, and Version1 in Round 3 to secure their qualification.

For FaZe Clan, it was more of a struggle as they gave up one map against every of their opponents. It was all close calls for FaZe, and their final win against TSM was the most rewarding.

Luminosity and TSM were both relegated to the Lower Bracket after losses at different stages in the Upper Bracket. TSM was responsible for Luminosity’s demise early in the top-16 matchups after their Round 1 win over 100 Thieves.

In Round 1, Luminosity made light work of Gen.G Esports and advanced to the next round. Waiting was TSM, who had just beaten 100 Thieves and got another victory against LG.

Following a series of impressive performances in the Lower Bracket, defeating BBG Academy, Sentinels, and Version1, Luminosity secured Challengers 2 qualification.

For TSM, they were relegated to the Lower Bracket after losing to FaZe Clan. With only one victory needed to qualify, they bested a familiar foe, 100 Thieves, to guarantee their spot.

All four teams will get the much-needed rest before the Challengers 2 commences. The event will commence on May 13, with 12 teams fighting for a piece of the $200,000 prize fund and one of the slots for the Stage 2 Masters.

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