The North American giants NRG took down KOI despite a shaky display from both teams.
The much anticipated VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo finally kicked off in the heart of Brazil, where the 32 best teams in the world will be locking horns with their sight on the trophy.
The cruel 32-team single-elimination bracket commenced with NRG taking on KOI. Featuring several former OpTic Gaming's core players, such as FNS, crashies, and Victor, alongside ardiis (former FunPlus Phoenix) and s0m (former Gen.G CS:GO) in the starting lineup, NRG will be eyeing nothing short of dominance. On the flip side, this is a golden opportunity for KOI to show the world if they can swim forward or sink under in this massive showdown against NRG.
KOI was in control in map 1 of the series at Icebox, pulling off timely flanks and methodical map control round after round in anticipation of NRG's plays. The pressure piled on when the infamous North American 9-3 curse is back in full effect to hinder NRG's LOCK//IN journey.
NRG was able to stage an epic comeback thanks to FNS' clutch play in round 21 that not just turned the tide but let them take the lead for the first time in the series.
s0m was a standout in his international debut as he masterfully outplayed KOI with an impeccable Viper performance. He was able to end the series with an impressive 24/13/4 KDA (79% KAST) and 184 ADR (average damage per round).
Photo credit: Valorant Esports
The series carried on from the chilly Icebox to Haven, where both squads fielded identical agents lineup - Sova, Omen, Jett, Killjoy, and Breach. But this time, it was KOI's turn to have a shaky start.
NRG was able to read KOI's attacking playbook and welcomed the Europeans into a couple of death traps in the earlier rounds. Things were looking up when KOI tied the series 3-3 with a perfect Flashpoint from Breach that helped to clean the floor against NRG.
Not until ardiis fully locked in and turned up with Jett's Blade Storm and handed the lead to NRG once more. The situation got ugly and eventually uglier, as KOI was uncharacteristically conservative in their approach despite being behind in points and economy. Although they managed to punish NRG's mistakes and clawed a couple of points back in the second half, they were unable to keep up the pace.
With the defeat, KOI became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament. NRG may be advancing to the next round, but they will have to count their blessing as the victory was not as pretty as they would have liked it to be. The roster is still looking a little rough as ardiis and s0m may need a little more time to click with the squad, but they are still lethal and capable of showing flashes of brilliance.
NRG will look to face the winner of DetonatioN FM versus Giants.
Stay tuned to GosuGamers for more tournament coverage or check out our VCT LOCK//IN tournament hub.
