LOUD vs Karmine Corp: LOUD win 2-0 in exciting series – First Split of the tournament

Home crowd favorites LOUD face off against FunPlus Phoenix in a do-or-die match at VCT LOCK//IN 2023. LOUD came off a 2-0 victory over Gen.G while Karmine Corp survived the FPX scare in Round 1. Here’s all you need to know about the LOUD vs Karmine Corp match at VCT LOCK//IN Sao Paolo.

The first map of choice was Pearl. This is a map that we didn't see a mighty lot at VCT Champs 2022, but teams seem to be favoring this map at VCT LOCK//IN. The Brazilians got off to a fantastic start on this map with the home crowd cheering loudly for the home team.

LOUD got off to a fantastic start winning the first four rounds of the match. They were extremely dominant with no way in for Karmine Corp. There were instances of brilliance from the French players, but they could never find a way into the round. It was only in Round 4 that they truly brought forth a challenge.

After a short time-out, LOUD came back even stronger with Tuyz helping the team win the round with two spectacular kills on the A bombsite.

The first-half still ended with a relatively non-risky 8-4 half time lead for LOUD. However, as we headed into the defensive side for LOUD, all eyes were on ScreaM and Nivera, the two brothers who've been known to clear bombsites with ease.

A well-planned execute on to the A bombsite saw Karmine Corp get the first kill. But just as they were planning to plant the spike under the cover of Harbor Cove, LOUD got two headshots, giving them a nice advantage. The round came down to a 1v1 situation, but Karmine Corp ultimately won the second pistol silencing the crowd.

Despite being a superstar on the roster, there were moments about map control that saw aspas stepping back, giving his team a numerical advantage instead of going in for the kills. The strategical gameplay allowed LOUD to have the upper hand in many of their rounds.

The 16th round saw LOUD play very aggressive all across the map. They couldn't find the opening kills losing two of their own players in the process. However, after securing mid, Karmine Corp simply could not find a way into the A bombsite. They ran into Harbor who single-handedly closed the round for LOUD. Saadhak's reaction after the clutch says it all.

But as the rounds progressed, Karmine Corp was able to string together a few rounds. There were rounds where they were extreemly lucky with timings but there were also rounds where they sold their fake excellently to their opponents.

It looked very likely that LOUD and Karmine Corp might go to overtime, but a fantastic round by Less in the final few rounds saw LOUD take Map 1.

It's a map that has not been seen in the competitive scene for a very long time. Split helped duelists shine and has been responsible for the rise of agents like Chamber and Jett. Today, VALORANT fans got a glimpse of the map in the series between LOUD and Karmine Corp.

The first few rounds started with LOUD starting off strong on the attacking side. Karmine Corp got one round, but a 4-1 lead after the close shave in the previous map was good for LOUD fans.

Karmine Corp were unable to find any defense as LOUD's aggression was able to push the Karmine Corp defense like a pack of cards. KC's retakes were largely unsatisfactory and they seemed very demotivated to put up a fight on their defense.

When all looked bleak and LOUD had a 8-2 lead, there was one round that just catapulted KC to secure two more rounds. They ended the half with a 8-4 score, definitely one that was manageable. The 4-8 half for Kcorp was a similar scoreline to Pearl so the map was set for an exciting second half.

The second half, the attacking side for Karmine Corp., was much easier, however. They were able to close down the gap to 8-9, just one shy of LOUD's score.

The very next round, KC decide to push through the smoke and were punished accordingly. Saadhak with his judge was just waiting for them and they cleared the karmine Corp lineup just at the final stages of Split.

The next round was a back-breaking round for Karmine Corp. They had to win but they delayed the round push into the last ten seconds. Even though they got a couple of kills, they still lost quite a few. Ultimately, the desperate decisions had to be made including using the Showstopper to kill self and the opponent.

Coming into VCT LOCK//IN as the defending champions, there are mighty expectations from LOUD. The team did make two changes, losing two of its most influential players - pANcada and Sacy - to Sentinels.

LOUD’s VALORANT roster is as follows:

Karmine Corp joined VALORANT in the 2023 franchise expansion. Here’s Karmine Corp’s VALORANT roster

VALORANT fans can catch the LOUD vs Karmine Corp match on the official VALORANT Twitch channel. 

The VCT LOCK//IN Sao Paolo has 30 teams competing in a brutal single-elimination tournament. The first round of matches will eliminate 50% of the teams at the event. Following LOCK//IN, the teams will move to the regional leagues and compete within their respective regions.

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