In the Grand Finals post-match press conference, alexis let us know just how much meL means to her in her absence after victory.
The VCT Game Changers Championship 2023 gave us some of the best action we've seen this year. And at the end of it all, Shopify Rebellion are your champions. It is bittersweet, however, as Melanie "meL" Capone was not able to join her best friend Alexis "alexis" Guarrasi on stage.
The IGL of Shopify tested positive for COVID and had to play from an isolated area. While she led them to the victory, she was unable to lift the trophy on stage or attend the post-match press conference. In that press conference, we asked alexis to speak on the entirety of the subject.
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SR alexis discusses winning championship, but not having meL on stage
From the early days of VALORANT in MAJKL, to signing with Cloud9, moving to Version1, and now world champions with Shopify, meL and alexis have been inseparable. They've been dominant as a duo and with whatever teammates are at their side.
The only thing to elude them has been that LAN trophy. They finally earned it together, but things probably weren't as perfect as they imagined. With meL contracting COVID, she played off-stage away from her team.
The emotions were clearly high following the victory, so we asked alexis to tell us about her IGL and what it means to win with her, but also without her in a physical sense. Here's what she had to say:
"I want nothing more than to hug Mel right now. Genuinely, I can't do that, and it sucks. Mel has been my best friend for the last seven years. We've played together for over three years now. And we win a championship, and I can't even give her a hug? It sucks, but I love her so much. That is my ride-or-die best friend, 'til the grave. Honestly, I love her so much. "
It seems nothing, not even an illness, was going to keep the Shopify Rebellion team from their destiny. More Game Changers competition is on the way in 2024, so expect to see this roster make more waves in hopes of a repeat championship run.
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