The playoffs for the Champions Series started today in Chennai on LAN. All the teams would want to win the opening games and get the momentum in their favor. The winners of today would face the top seeds of both groups tomorrow. While the losers would wait in the losers bracket to play the day after tomorrow.
Summary of Day 1 of Playoffs.
- Velocity Gaming 2-0 Revenant eSports
- Full Power Gaming 0-2 Global Esports
Match 1: Velocity Gaming 2-0 Revenant eSports
The map veto started with Revenant banning Icebox, VLT banning Split while Revenant picked Fracture, VLT picked Breeze, and after banning Haven and Bind respectively, Ascent was left as the decider. The first map of Fracture, had mirrored lineups, with both teams playing Sage, Neon, Brimstone, Breach, and the compulsory pick of Chamber.
Despite a shaky start with VLT unable to contain Revenant’s attack, losing 3 of the first 4 rounds, and despite the disadvantageous position managed to close the half 6-6. In the second half, it seemed that VLT had found the gaps in Revenant’s defense and only lost a single round, winning the map 13-7.
Breeze, saw Velocity running Chamber, Neon, Kay/O, Sova, and Viper while Revenant surprised everyone by picking Cypher and Chamber with Viper Kay/O and Sova. Revenant’s defense line-up was an innovative one, to say the least.
The map started with velocity making a defensive fortress, where they went on to win 6 rounds in a row, Revenant did manage to catch a few players off guard to win rounds but eventually, VLT went on to win the half 8-4
The second half started similar to map 1, despite losing the pistol round, VLT managed to win the force and eventually closed the map 13-5 winning the game 2-0 The most important part was played by Manoj bhai’s presence who single-handedly carried the team to victory. With this velocity secured their first LAN victory
With the dominant win, VLT made a strong statement and must be fired up. Revenant still has a chance to make a comeback by fighting in their way out of the lower brackets they put up a great fight and tried something and couldn’t make it work, They’d definitely come back stronger in the lower bracket.
Match 2: Full Power Gaming Global Esports
Full power gaming started the game by banning GE’s strongest map of Ascent, Global Esports banned Icebox, As their first map pick, Full Power Gaming chose to play Haven, and Global Esports chose to play Bind. After banning Fracture and Split respectively. Breeze becomes the decider by default.
On Haven, Both teams played with Chamber, double initiator, and Omen. With GE opting in for Sova and breach while Full Power Gaming played with Skye and breach. As for Duelists GE chose Raze while Full Power Gaming opted for Neon.
On attack, Full power gaming managed to penetrate Global’s defense and won 5 out of the first 6 rounds. Global though managed to contain the bleeding limiting the Full Power Gaming to just 7 rounds closing the half 7-5.
The second half started with teams exchanging the rounds to tie at 9-9, Global though managed to find an answer to Full power gaming’s defense winning 4 rounds in a row to close the game 13-9.
Bind saw both teams playing Breach, Brimstone, Chamber, and Raze, while GE opted for Sova, Full power Gaming chose to play Fade. The first half was somewhat one-sided as Global Esports on attack managed to win 5 out of the 7 first rounds but Full Power showed resistance and manage to close the half 5-7 in deficit.
Full Power now on the attack had a hard time finding their grove and lost 5 rounds in a row to put Global Esports on Map point. Once again, Full Power manage to push forth winning 6 rounds in a row to bring to map to the final round.
In the final round, Global managed to read Full Power well and defended the B site to win the map 13-11 and the game 2-0. SKRossi and LightiningFast were the top performers of the game
With this Global Esports now faces Orangutan tomorrow for the spot in Upper Finals. While Full Power now in the lower bracket would play the loser of the game. Similarly, Velocity would take on Enigma Gaming with the loser playing Revenant in the lower finals.
This concludes day 1 of the Skyesports Champions Series Playoffs. Despite the 2-0’s we saw, both matches delivered as they expected to, and had some hype moments. Just like today, tomorrow would be another exciting day of Valorant for South Asia with the action starting with Show matches at 2 PM and the upper bracket semifinals starting at 5 PM.
