Image credit: VALORANT Esports
Team SMG knocked off Evil Geniuses GC without dropping a map.
VCT Game Changers Championship 2023 playoffs have begun. Eight teams are vying for the Championship title and a chunk of the whopping $500,000 prize pool.
Team SMG extends their undefeated run in VCT Game Changers APAC to the big stage of the VCT Game Changers Championship. The team proved that even if it was their first appearance in the Game Changers Championship, they were ready to stand their ground.
Indeed, Team SMG left the fans in awe after they stomped Evil Geniuses GC in a 2-0 sweep.
Team SMG pulls off four Duelists
The first game was never before seen in an international main event. Team SMG pulled off four Duelists and a Sentinel in their opening match.
Even Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie from Paper Rex can’t help but comment on Team SMG’s surprising draft.
Odella “enerii” Abraham is famous for her insane aim and mainly plays Duelists. Fans were shocked when Team SMG decided to put her into a Sentinel role. Although Cypher is a great choice at Lotus, it is very risky to put enerii in a passive and lurker role.
The gamble paid off as enerii dominated the game. She proved that she could show as much firepower as her Jett or Raze picks. The four duelists proved to be too much to handle for Evil Geniuses. Once they hit the site, they were unstoppable.
Team SMG quickly scored six rounds before Evil Geniuses chalked one on the scoreboard. The first half ended in a 9-3 score. The second half was a breeze for Team SMG as they took all the rounds needed to close the map.
Team SMG remains undefeated
The second map saw a more traditional draft from Team SMG. Although Haven is Evil Geniuses GC’s map pick, it did not stop Team SMG from annihilating them to take the series.
Alexandria “Alexy” Francisco was the MVP of Game 2. The value she brought to the game as Sova was immense. It helped her team execute their strategies well and Evil Geniuses GC had a hard time answering back.
Once again, they started the game strong with a five-round lead. Evil Geniuses took five of their own but Team SMG closed the first half in their favor.
Team SMG showed their prowess during the second half. Fans saw the impressive individual skills across the Team SMG roster. Evil Geniuses GC missed some key moments to turn the table around.
The game ended with a 13-7 score in favor of Team SMG.
Team SMG will face defending Champions G2 Gozen in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. G2 Gozen did not drop a single map during its match-up against Team Liquid Brazil. The winning team will secure an Upper Bracket final slot while the losing team will fight for its tournament life in the Lower Bracket.
Team SMG turned a lot of the audience into fans after their incredible debut at the VCT Game Changers Championship 2023. They will surely be one of the fan-favorites moving forward in the competition.
