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The Swedish esports organisation seems to have established a foothold in Brazil. Following an unsuccessful first season in Valorant Champions Tour in EMEA, the organisation decided to scrap their initial plan and move to LATAM where they already had quite a lot of fans following their Rainbow Six squad in Brazil.
This move paid off as their Valorant team secured a spot in Masters in Reykjavík. NiP qualified for the VCT Brazil Stage 1 Challengers and finished first in group B. Their spectacular run was interrupted by LOUD, who beat NiP twice with 3 – 0 and sent them into the VCT 2022: South America Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs.
NiP quickly recovered and took down Leviatán in the Challengers Playoffs, finally qualifying for the Masters.
From EMEA to Brazil
NiP’s decision to focus on Brazil was a calculated move that seems to have paid off. They’ve managed to get into the VCT Stage 1 Masters in Reykjavík as the 12th and final team.
While they still had to work hard and push the limits of their team, they encountered far less obstacles in the Brazilian region than they would have in EMEA had they remained in Europe. Since EMEA is the strongest region in Valorant, they are awarded with 3 Masters slots. But at the same time, securing one of those three spots is a much more daunting task.
NiP managed to conquer the Brazilian region, but they’ll still have to face their former EMEA opponents in VCT Stage 1 Masters. This will be the real test for the team.
Second Spot in Brazil Stage 1 Challengers
NiP had a great run in the VCT Brazil Stage 1 Challengers. They finished first in group B with 3 wins and 1 loss. All the teams in group B fell one by one, with the exception of FURIA Esports, who were the only team that managed to defeat NiP in the group stage.
NiP had their revenge in Upper Bracket Round 2 where they had a rematch against FURIA esports. The tables had turned this time and NiP were victorious.
Where NiP truly ran into trouble was against the winners of group A, LOUD. They proved to be a challenging opponent and NiP suffered their first loss to them in the Upper Bracket Final. LOUD came in strong and put an overwhelming amount of pressure on NiP. The final score was 3 – 0 and NiP dropped into the Losers’ Bracket Final where they were once again forced to face Keyd Stars who climbed through the Lower Bracket.
ICELAND HERE WE COME 🇧🇷
GG's @LeviatanGG #VCT pic.twitter.com/6qRyl1Pi7T
— NIP VALORANT (@NIPVAL) April 1, 2022
A hard-earned 3 – 2 win against Keyd Stars allowed NiP to fight in the Grand Final. However, their joy soon turned to despair as LOUD once again completely dismantled the NiP team and took another clear 3 – 0. NiP simply didn’t have an answer to LOUD’s onslaught.
Despite landing into the Brazil Challengers Grand Finals, NiP had to fight Leviatán in the LATAM vs BR Playoffs in order to fully earn their second place and a seed in Masters. Luckily, they managed to beat the Argentinian squad and successfully ended their roller coaster run.
Surviving the Masters Group A
While NiP successfully qualified for Reykjavík, they now face a new set of challengers. They’ll have to survive the double-elimination group stage where they’re facing the former Vision Strikers squad DRX, the Japanese ZETA DIVISION, and Fnatic, their former EMEA friends.
They’ll be playing their first match against Fnatic, which will definitely be a real challenge for NiP. Fnatic had a great run in the EMEA Stage 1 Challengers and proved to be an extremely strong team, especially in the group stage.
If NiP wins here, they’ll proceed into the Winners’ Match where they can end it all immediately. However, if they lose, they’ll head straight for the Elimination Match, which is something they’ll want to avoid, if possible.
The Stage 1 Masters in Reykjavík will begin on April 10th, so make sure to tune in and watch NiP and Fnatic clash live on the official Valorant esports channel.
