LOUD was the first team to secure the first Grand Final spot in the VCT Stage 1 Masters in Reykjavík. The Brazilians defeated OpTiC Gaming in an intense 2 – 1 match and maintained their current win streak in the tournament.
ZETA DIVISION, the surprise team from Japan, managed to overpower Paper Rex in the Lower Bracket Round 3 and established themselves among the top three teams in this event. They’re fighting OpTiC later today in the Lower Bracket Final, where the second Grand Final slot will be decided.
The Unstoppable LOUD
LOUD’s run in the Valorant Champions Tour so far can be described as nothing short of incredible. They’re currently sitting in the Grand Final of the first Masters event of the year and they haven’t lost a single match up to this point.
And that’s not all! This is the very first Valorant Champions Tour event they ever attended, and they’ve only been competing together as a team for a few months. So that begs the question – how is this even possible?
The recipe for their success is still unknown, they just simply demolish everything that stands in their way.
Before becoming the Brazil Challengers, they joined the first open qualifiers under the Pancada e Amigos name. Needless to say, they breezed through and found themselves in the first closed qualifier where another set of challenges awaited. And just like before, they swiftly eliminated all competition and qualified for the Challengers Stage 1.
This is where they appeared under a new name, LOUD. Just like in both previous qualifiers, the Brazilians simply couldn’t stop dominating. They went 4 – 0 in the group stage and just rode the win streak to the Grand Final where they beat Ninjas in Pyjamas with 3 – 0. They lost only a single map in all seven matches, which is an astounding achievement.
All of this leads us to the VCT Masters in Reykjavík where LOUD still remains undefeated. We always knew the Brazilians had this special fire in them that enabled them this unique and aggressive playstyle, but no other team really embodies it like LOUD does. Initially, we had no real expectations from this young team, but now we find ourselves rooting for them and for their win streak to never stop!
Brazil and Japan continue to make #VALORANTMasters history as Day 10 wraps up!
Relive the emotions from the players and fans. pic.twitter.com/Tuw6y0Nv4w
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) April 23, 2022
Japan Challengers Still Going Strong
ZETA DIVISION is one of the biggest surprises in this esports tournament. They came in with humble expectations and were thrilled to even win a single match, but look at them now, they’re one step away from the Grand Final. Who would’ve thought?
What is really unique about ZETA is the fact they show no fear or hesitation, and that’s truly frightening for their opponents. They’re simply here to have fun and see how far they can push themselves. ZETA is seemingly unaffected by superficial things such as scores or individual stats; they’re carried forward by sheer power of will and determination.
Over the course of this tournament they’ve beaten teams such as Fnatic and NiP, eliminated both Team Liquid and DRX, and also took down Paper Rex in their most recent match. OpTiC Gaming is the only team standing between them and the Grand Final so we’ll see whether they have some fuel left to take down the American squad as well.
Whether ZETA ends their run here or wins is almost irrelevant. In their eyes and the eyes of their fans, they’re already the champions and deserve all the praise they’re getting. Thanks to their efforts in Reykjavík, Japan now stands as one of the top three regions in the world.
