Jett has been hit hard by nerfs, which duelist do you think is the best right now?
In their first match together, OG LDNUTD fell short against Acend in the VCT Masters Stage 2. The 0-2 loss notwithstanding, the roster had a commendable performance with the second map going into overtime. Acend's Vakk appeared on the broadcast talking about the match and their preparations going into it.
OG LDNUTD picked Fade on Icebox with Destrian putting up a great performance on the new duelist. But Acend were prepared for the pick and were not fazed by it. Acend’s Vakaris "vakk" Bebravičius spoke about the team’s composition and how the recent Jett nerfs have changed agent preferences.
"We practiced against Fade a lot, so we knew about its utility, about the reveal, about prowler for example," said Vakk. "We went into the match with confidence and I think it was pretty easy."
Acend also picked Reyna instead of the traditional Jett on Icebox, a clear bye-product of the recent nerfs to Jett.
"In my opinion, Reyna is always good to replace Jett because you can always hit the shot and just miss from even hard Initiation. So I think Reyna is probably one of the best Duelist to replace Jett. I think that's basically it. I think Reyna and Chamber are the strongest Duelists in my opinion."
Reyna and Chamber are the strongest Duelists in my opinion.
Acend gets Victory #1
Acend’s current roster achieved its first victory against OG LTNUTD. Both teams are in Group A alongside Fnatic, G2 esports, FunPlus Phoenix and FOKUS. OG LDNUTD picked Icebox as their map choice, but it was a very one-sided affair as Acend took complete control of the map.
OG won the first two rounds, but there was no stopping the Acend aggression. Acend won six rounds in a row before OG LDN UTD finally managed to claw back a few. The first half ended with a 8-4 score, a manageable one by all means and definitely not the curse of the 9-3.
It’s easier said than done as Acend only needed a few more rounds and their defense allowed them to take control of massive areas on Icebox and to win crucial rounds. Eventually Acend won Icebox with a 13-7 score, going into the second match with momentum on their side.
The second map, Split, was a much closer affair. This time, OG LDN UTD had a fantastic start, going 8-1 in the first few rounds. Acend won three crucial rounds at the end of the first half to bring the half-time score to 8-4.
“We were overthinking a bit, we should have played a bit more simple and easier. We had a strategy and we had plans that we ended up changing. So basically we decided to play more simple and we started winning rounds and take control.”
OG’s dominating start was wiped out in the second half as Acend had an equally good defense on Split.
Despite their loss, OG LDN UTD’s performance showed glimpses of brilliance and it was an inspirational performance for a new team. There were obviously a lot of things for the players to iron out, but are looking up considering the sheer skill level on the roster. MOLSI and Feqew rose up to the occasion on Split with Destrian having a decent performance on Icebox as well.
The VCT Stage 2 Challengers EMEA started yesterday and will continue for several weeks ending on June 26. The top three teams from the Challengers will advance to Masters. Riot recently announced the location and schedule of VCT Masters 2 as well as Valiant Champions 2022.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Valorant news and updates.