LOUD and OpTic Win First Matches; Leviatán Secures First Playoff Spot (VALORANT Champions 2022 Day 2)
The high-stakes, world-class VALORANT action continued on Day 2 of VALORANT Champions 2022 as LOUD and OpTic Gaming won their first group stage matches while Leviatán became the first team to secure a playoff spot.
.@LeviatanGG have locked in for the #VALORANTChampions Playoffs! Check out the DAY 2 results. pic.twitter.com/DFayPZDRJx
— VALORANT Champions Tour KR (@valesports_kr) September 1, 2022
LOUD Silences ZETA DIVISION
.@LOUDgg makes some noise in their first series win at #VALORANTChampions İstanbul! pic.twitter.com/Jg5MKH27V4
— VALORANT Champions Tour 🇹🇷 (@ValorantEsports) September 1, 2022
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To kick the day off, LOUD silenced ZETA DIVISION as they swept them 2-0 for Group B’s opener.
With a more than 90% win rate at Ascent, LOUD was destined to win the first game of the series, and they delivered. The game had a “flank versus counter-flank” theme as both teams went behind each other. With both LOUD and ZETA at par, the first half ended not in LOUD’s favor as ZETA pulled ahead in the last two rounds. However, LOUD’s defense shined and toppled ZETA in the second half. Only losing a single round in the second half, LOUD ended the game in style as Erick “aspas” Santos got on top of A Site’s generator and made it rain with his Blade Storm.
Going into the second game, LOUD head out with a slight disadvantage as Fracture was ZETA’s map pick. Just like in the first game, the first half ended with a 7-5 score in favor of the Japanese representatives. Fortunately, LOUD was able to find their groove yet again in the second half. They proceeded to win eight of the next ten rounds of the game and ultimately closed it out by Round 22 to end the series with a sweep.
OpTic Gaming Defuses BOOM’s Champions Debut
The #GreenWall completes the comeback! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/fzgnSePxW3
— VALORANT Champions Tour 🇹🇷 (@ValorantEsports) September 1, 2022
For the second series of the day, OpTic Gaming went the distance with BOOM Esports as they secured a 2-1 win.
OpTic lost Game 1 on Breeze as BOOM had an explosive debut at the Champions stage. OpTic had a terrible start as they merely took four rounds in the first half. Fortunately, their magnificent defense against BOOM extended their lifeline and prolonged the game. The game went into five arduous overtimes with OpTic regrettably the loser at the end.
With their backs against the wall, OpTic dominated Game 2 on Bind as they went 13-5 against BOOM. The game started with both teams aggressive immediately, with the opening pistol round going to OpTic’s way after the skirmish at A Cubby. After that, Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker mowed down BOOM at the same spot for three kills to secure the second round, a sign of what’s to come as the American sniper eventually had an unfathomable 421 ACS on a 19/4/2 KDA in the first half. OpTic’s first half gave them an 8-round lead as the game went into the second half where they gave BOOM no mercy up until the end.
As the series was tied, OpTic completed a reverse sweep when they won against BOOM at Fracture 13-3. Just like in the previous game, OpTic dominated the first half as they went 9-3 against BOOM. The duo of Yay on Chamber and Austin “crashies” Roberts on KAY/O stonewalled BOOM from entering and planting sites as they finished the half with a combined total of 29 kills. From there, it was simply a walk in the park for OpTic as they cleanly finished the game in the second half in just four rounds.
Leviatán Topples Paper Rex
.@LeviatanGG CAME TO PLAY!
They claim the first Playoff slot at #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/harDKNixd5
— VALORANT Champions Tour 🇹🇷 (@ValorantEsports) September 1, 2022
Finally, the last series of the day saw Leviatán sweep Paper Rex 2-0 at the Winner’s Match in Group A.
Leviatán kicked off the series with an impressive 13-8 win at Haven. The LATAM representatives managed to get five out of the first six rounds of the first half but were unable to quell Paper Rex’s advances which eventually resulted in a tie score at halftime. Fortunately, Leviatán dominated the second half to clinch the series matchpoint.
For Game 2, Leviatán had the difficult task to take Paper Rex down on their turf at Bind. The opening pistol round was an all-out brawl that left Fabian “Shy” Usnayo the only survivor from that bloodbath. The game then proceeded to feature high-octane rounds as the majority of the actions were done in the first 30 seconds of a round. Leviatán’s brilliant smoke setup at Hookah, which left a sneaky pocket of space where Leviatán can hide, decimated Paper Rex every single time. With the score tied at the half, Leviatán’s attacking prowess came out on top as they defeated Paper Rex 13-11.
With the day’s results, Leviatán becomes the first team to qualify for the playoffs stage of Champions 2022. Meanwhile, LOUD and OpTic Gaming both move up the bracket to face each other in Group B while ZETA and BOOM drop down to the elimination match.
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