Valorant Champions got off to a flying start on Day 1 and we wanted to give you guys a full recap of all the thrills and spills.
Valorant Champions is now officially underway and already we have seen our fair share of thrills and spills. We've had some domination, and a nail-bitter for the ages and we are here to bring you all the action. Here is our full recap of everything that happened on Day 1 of Valorant Champions.
Be sure to check out the full bracket while you're here.
Vision Strikers Show Off Raw Slaying Power Against Full Sense
There was a lot of hype surrounding Vision Strikers going into this matchup, with many experts favoring them to make a deep run in the tournament. And that hype held merit as they dominated Full Sense from start to finish, taking the series 2-0.
Vision Strikers will be moving on to the Group D Winners Match where they will face either Cloud9 or Fnatic. Whereas Full Sense will muster up a lot of courage as they head to Group C Elimination match against Cloud9 or Fnatic, who will also be anxious to pick themselves up from a tough loss.
For a more detailed accounting of the action head to our Match Recap for Vision Strikers vs Full Sense.
Team Vikings Upsets The Odds To Beat Crazy Raccoon
Following on from Vision's smackdown against Full Sense we went into a match that was full of unknowns with Team Vikings taking on Crazy Raccoon. There were a lot of doubts surrounding Team Vikings across the board as the last time they had been the limelight was during the Stage 2 Major in Reykjavik. Due to their woes of not being able to adapt to previous metas in a timely fashion, many were quick to write off the LATAM team; who were up against Crazy Raccoon who were known for sticking to their drawn up plays.
It was a match that featured the aggressive, and adaptable tendencies of Vikings and the rigid tactical approach of Raccoon, and it was the latter setup that ultimately fell flat. There was some back and forth between the teams, with a few moments of madness sprinkled in for good measure. But in the end it was Team Vikings that claimed victory in this bout as they took the series 2 - 0.
Team Vikings will be moving on to face either Gambit Gaming or Team Secret in the Group C Winners match on December 4. Meanwhile Crazy Raccoon will need to hit the regain button soon as they will be facing the loser of the aforemention matchup in the first Elimination match for Group C on December 5.
For a more detailed rundown on what transpired head to our Match Recap for Team Vikings vs Crazy Raccoon.
Fnatic Hold On In Overtime To Defeat Cloud9
And finally we come to the Marquee Matchup from Day; Fnatic vs Cloud9. This was a match that had the potential to go the distance and it did not disappoint. Many had tipped Cloud9 to get the edge over the European team.
The proceedings got underway in a bit of a surprising fashion, as Fnatic claimed victory on Iceblock, taking the map 13 - 11. Fnatic looked to capitalize on their map 1 success as they dominated Cloud9 for much of map 2. However all did not go according to plan as Cloud9 managed to fight back from a 5 round deficit to win Split 13 - 11; forcing a third and final map to decide the series.
This exciting turn of events meant that Fracture would be making its' long awaited debut in the VCT; and it did not disappoint. Fnatic took control in the initial stages of the map, kicking Cloud9 to the curb in the process. Yet once again, Cloud9 battled back from an enormous deficit, this time forcing the game into overtime. Things weren't looking too good for Fnatic, but somehow they were able to clutch up in the dying embers of the game to take the map 14 - 12, and the match 2 - 1.
With their dramatic overtime victory, Fnatic heads to the Group D Winners match where they will be facing off against Vision Strikers; who are sure to pose a significant challenge in their quest to get into the knockout stages. Cloud9 on the other hand will be forced to lick their wounds and prepare for battle against Full Sense if they hope to stay in this tournament.
Head over to our Match Recap for a more thorough description of what went down in the Cloud9 vs Fnatic game.
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