NA Challengers Playoffs Stage 3: Day 1 Recap

Shazam2
Sentinels have done it again! | © Riot Games

The Valorant Championship Tour and the battle for Masters: Berlin continues. Tonight, we were able to experience six matches of the top teams from the NA region — Let's find out who made it to the next stage and who still has to prove themselves!

Tonight, we had a chance to find out two more teams that managed to get a slot at Masters: Berlin! No surprises this time — Sentinels and 100 Thieves, the absolute favorites, made it to the tournament's next phase by smoothly winning both of their BO3 series. But it's not over yet! NA teams have one more Masters: Berlin slot left to get, and the winning teams will still compete for additional money. Let's look at how it went yesterday and what else awaits us in the NA Challengers Playoffs Stage 3.

NA Challengers Playoffs: Quarterfinals

The quarterfinal matches were arguably the most important in the entire NA Challengers Playoffs. The road to the Masters: Berlin doubled in length for all the teams that lost in this phase. Now TSM, Rise, FaZe Clan, and Luminosity need to win four BO3 series in a row in a lower bracket; otherwise, any chance of Berlin will be gone for them.

The most exciting quarterfinal match was Sentinels vs. Rise, which seemed incredibly dull on the surface, but when Rise won the second map 13:7 (Ascent), things started to get intense. In the end, Sentinels won the entire match by a score of 2:1 and advanced to the semifinals, where they would face Team Envy, who won their quarterfinal over TSM in a very close series. See all the NA Challengers Playoffs Quarterfinals results below:

  • Sentinels vs. Rise — 2:1
  • Team Envy vs. TSM — 2:1
  • XSET vs. Luminosity — 2:0
  • 100 Thieves vs. FaZe Clan — 2:0

NA Challengers Playoffs: Semifinals

The semifinals were basically matches to secure a slot at Masters: Berlin. Both series ended 2-0, although contrary to what you might think, they were incredibly close — All 4 games ended with a score of 13:11. Sentinels and 100 Thieves emerged victorious from this tournament phase, while Envy and Xset have yet to win three consecutive BO3 series to qualify for Masters: Berlin. Well, they are still in a better position than the teams that lost in the Quarterfinals, but winning three series in a row against the Valorant's best NA teams will not be an easy task. Here are all the NA Challengers Playoffs Semifinals results:

  • Sentinels vs. Team Envy — 2:0
  • XSET vs. 100 Thieves — 0:2

NA Challengers Playoffs: Upcoming Matches

As we mentioned earlier, it's not over yet! The NA Challengers Playoffs will continue today at 23:00 CEST, right after the EMEA Challengers Playoffs. Here are the matches that are still to come along with the schedules and tournament bracket:

  • Lower Bracket Round 1 — Rise vs. TSM (12.08, 23:00 CEST, watch here)
  • Lower Bracket Round 1 — Luminosity vs. FaZe Clan (12.08, 23:00 CEST, watch here)
  • Lower Bracket Round 2 — XSET vs. TBA (winner of Rise vs TSM) (13.08, 1:30 CEST, watch here)
  • Lower Bracket Round 2 — Team Envy vs. TBA (winner of Luminosity vs FaZe Clan) (13.08, 1:30 CEST, watch here)
  • Upper Bracket Final — Sentinels vs 100. Thieves (13.08, 23:00 CEST, watch here)
Na challengers bracket
NA Challengers Playoffs Day 2 Bracket | source: liquipedia.com

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Szymon Bielawski

I've been into competitive gaming and eSports since I was a kid. I started out in the local CS:GO scene and ended up performing at the international major tournaments like Hearthstone Masters Tour. The competitive gaming world discovered a new...