DRX eliminated one of the fan favorites, Cloud9 in the second round of the VCT LOCK//IN in São Paulo.
The North American powerhouse versus the South Korean titans, in an alternate universe, this showdown could easily be grand final-like in regards to impact and intensity.
DRX, which finished the VALORANT Champions 2022 in third place was hungry for revenge against the core of Cloud9 that defeated them from Champions last year. Both teams have a lot of baggage to unpack on stage, with very different stories bringing them to this very best-of-three showdown.
The series began on Pearl where DRX started as the attackers, but got rolled over by C9 in the pistol round. The Koreans were unable to execute their game plan in securing B site, as C9 extended the lead to 4-0. Though DRX tried to stall the annihilation, C9 was able to ride on the momentum and capitalised on DRX's mistakes time and time again.
C9 ended the first half in 9-3 and continued the trample against the South Korean squad by winning another 4 rounds without breaking a sweat. That includes a 4K from Xeppaa. DRX faltered in Pearl with a 3-13 scoreline.
It is a devastating game for the side of DRX as every C9 member finished with a higher rating than the Korean squad.
However, things are looking brighter as DRX began map 2 in Haven with a swift plant on the B site, where they flawlessly fenced off a retake and claimed the round. C9 then failed to advance with a stinger force-buy in the next round, but yay was able to remind fans about his demonic prowess and why Chamber could still be effective under his hands.
DRX stuck true to its strengths with rapid executions and C9 was constantly behind in catching up to the tempo. The Koreans showed that they are as dominant as the North American superteam and set the score to 9-3 at halftime.
C9 looked to put up a fight, but they eventually fell to DRX's superior map control in Haven and we are heading to map 3.
With DRX on the attack, Icebox was all blue and cloudy for C9 as they lost the opening round and the team seemed to fall apart. C9 lacks the sharpness they showcased in map 1, and they were seemingly more individualistic and lack cohesion.
Meanwhile, DRX shines with its signature offensive playbook featuring a series of incredible line-ups and high-pace coordination. The decision to choose Harbor for stax proved to be a fruitful one as the squad was able to utilise the additional wall in controlling multiple points at once.
Rb turned up in superhuman form when he won an 1v3 duel in the third round and saw DRX jogged to an impressive 6-0 lead.
Similar to that in Haven, C9's defense was full of holes against DRX's immaculate post-plants. El Diablo and co were down 1-11, and only able to secure one more round win before crashing out of the tournament.
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