Another day of Valorant Champions is behind us, and oh boy – it's getting hotter and hotter. LOUD and OpTic Gaming grabbed their wins and will now face each other in the Upper Finals. Yup, it's LOUD vs OpTic once again.
LOUD and OpTic Gaming are now just one step away from getting into the Grand Finals of Valorant Champions Istanbul. We got two exciting games today – one where the Brazilian squad purely showed off with their top-notch strategies, and the clash of the two best NA Valorant. Let's recap what exactly happened today at the 2022 Valorant Worlds!
LOUD vs DRX (2:0)
This was something intense. On the first map (Breeze), LOUD was losing the first half 3:9, and DRX seemed to be in unbeatable shape today. But well, after they came back and won this map 13:11, it seemed to be the easiest match the Brazilian squad ever played.
ALL TIED UP! @LOUDgg | #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/Jl5pYDVRaR
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 12, 2022
3-1 in favor of @LOUDgg! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/7ulrlG0Rmw
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 12, 2022
- Learn how to play Breeze like LOUD with our map guide: Breeze: Tactical Map Guide, Strategies & Callouts
The second map (Haven) was just fast 13:6 from LOUD, which granted them a spot in the Upper Finals. We especially need to highlight Less, who scored 41 frags total while playing Cypher and Chamber. He showed that he is one of the top Sentinel players, and we can't wait to see him in a match against OpTic gaming.
| LOUD | DRX | |
| Breeze | ||
| First half | 3 | 9 |
Second half | 13 | 11 |
| Haven | ||
| First half | 8 | 4 |
| Second half | 13 | 6 |
OpTic Gaming vs XSET (OpTic Gaming 2:1)
And this was the most intense game of the entire tournament, and it was definitely something to watch for the NA Valorant fans. Two of the best North American teams faced each other in the Upper Semifinals of Valorant Champions.
However, there could only be one winner – and this time, again, it was OpTic Gaming. Both teams faced each other 11 times in the past, and XSET only won 3 of these matches.
The most exciting map of this match was definitely Pearl, the deciding map. The way both teams played on it was just fantastic, and if you want to learn some good strategies for it, you should absolutely re-watch it (and also check our in-depth map guide for it).
The 2v2 win gives @OpTic their 4th! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/QZOtL6pKkc
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 12, 2022
ONE. MORE. @OpTic | #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/2rMEmFNkDX
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 12, 2022
| OpTic Gaming | XSET | |
| Haven | ||
First half | 4 | 8 |
| Second half | 13 | 9 |
| Ascent | ||
First half | 3 | 9 |
Second half | 11 | 13 |
| Pearl | ||
First half | 8 | 4 |
| Second half | 13 | 8 |
Valorant Champions Istanbul will continue on 13.09 with following matches:
| Date | Match | Tournament Phase |
13.09, 04:00 PM CEST | DRX vs Fnatic | Playoff Stage: Lower Bracket Round 2 |
| 13.09, 07:00 PM CEST | FunPlus Phoenix vs XSET | Playoff Stage: Lower Bracket Round 2 |