The Challengers 2 Groups Stage of EMEA’s VALORANT Pro Tour has concluded, eliminating half of the competing teams. The Playoffs will crown a regional champion and send the top three teams to Masters 2 Copenhagen. Fnatic and Guild Esports have earned a bye to the upper bracket semi-finals for finishing first place in their groups. Here are the matchups for the first round of the EMEA Playoffs.
[Related: BBL Esports eliminates BIG out of EMEA Challengers 2]
Acend vs M3 Champions
A rematch from December 12, Champions 2021, Acend vs M3 Champions is the first matchup for 2022 in Challengers 2’s Playoffs. Both teams retain the core of their previous rosters, with only two members changed in Acend’s lineup. Vakaris “vakk” Bebravičius and Ondřej “MONSTEERR” Petrů replace Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi and Vlad “Kiles” Shvets. The last series went all five games, with Acend taking the final map Split 13-8 to close the match 3-2.
Acend enters playoffs on a two-game win streak, having gone 4-1 in the Groups Stage. Patryk “starxo” Kopczynski is the player to watch, having the biggest agent pool in all of the Groups Stage. Starxo has used Omen, Raze, Chamber, Skye, Sage and Neon, all while sporting a 210 ACS. Mehmet “cNed” İpek also comes equipped with a Reyna pick, having used her three times to great success in the group stage against OG LDN UTD and FOKUS.
M3 Champions arrives to playoffs with a 2-3 record, having most recently lost against Team Liquid. They will look to rely on Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin as their carry who attained a 244 ACS in Groups. A 13-5 First Kill/Death ratio on signature agent Viper shows nAts’ value as more than just a sentinel. This record is only beaten by duelist and fellow teammate Nikita “d3ffo” Sudakov: who holds a 19-14 record on Jett. If M3 Champions wants to avoid history repeating itself, they must step up their game from their Group Stage performance.
Team Liquid vs FunPlus Phoenix
Team Liquid and FunPlus Phoenix have clashed multiple times in the VCT. Out of these confrontations, FPX have won seven out of eight matches in the organization’s history. The most recent victory was in Stage 1, where FPX won 2-0 twice against Team Liquid in both the Groups and EMEA Playoffs.
The players to watch on Team Liquid are the captain and newest member: Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen and Aurimas “Dreamas” Zablockis. Jamppi’s recent flex roles on Chamber and Skye in Team Liquid’s match against M3 Champions drove them to victory. Dreamas’ tests against Natus Vincere and M3 Champions have not been as bright, with the support player sporting a negative K/D of 0.87%. Following Travis “L1NK” Mendoza’s stepping down from the active roster, Dreamas will have to perform to a higher standard or risk being exposed as the weakest link in the team.
Roster Update: @L1NKVAL will move to a substitute role for the remainder of Stage 2.
In talking with Travis, we came to the mutual conclusion that this was the right decision for the team. In his place, @Dreamas_ will join the active roster as we complete this Stage of VCT. pic.twitter.com/ps6I5NB8t7
— Team Liquid Valorant (@LiquidValorant) June 3, 2022
FunPlus Phoenix has also replaced one member since their last encounter with Team Liquid. Kami “baddyG” Graniczka leaves after joining as a substitute, with Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov’s return to the active roster. With his return, FPX have been pushing the boundaries with agent selection, boasting unique picks that define their aggressive style. ANGE1 stands as the only Yoru in EMEA, while Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky has used Fade for 75% of his matches in the Groups Stage. FunPlus Phoenix’s distinctive agent pool and playstyle will be the key decider in their round one matchup.
These two matches will take place on June 17, with Acend vs M3 Champions first at 9:00 am CDT. The winner will proceed to the Upper Semifinals against Guild Esports. Team Liquid and FunPlus Phoenix will face off afterward, with Fnatic awaiting the victor. Losing takes the teams to the lower bracket, where one more loss eliminates them from the EMEA Playoffs and Masters 2 contention.
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