Bent but not Broken - VLT Emerge Victorious In a Thrilling Series

Velocity Gaming got their revenge on Global Esports in closely contested affair in the grand finals of the TEC Valorant Challenger Series #2. GE had earlier taken down VLT in the upper bracket finals, which led many to question whether it was the end of an era of dominance. However, the team that have firmly established themselves as the best team in South Asia were up to the task, taking back to back wins against Noble and GE to pick up the trophy. With the win, VLT have won the second series in a row and will be the prime contenders for the upcoming series as well. 

RELATED:  VALORANT Servers for South Asia and Middle East Regions to be Available Later this Year

Noble Esports Vs VLT

Despite many thinking that the finals would be a VLT vs Noble affair, GE impressed everyone with a dominant showing in the upper bracket finals. A sloppy showing from VLT pushed them down to the lower bracket but the team clawed back with a close but comfortable victory. They were however, made to play 8 games on the final day with both series going the full distance. Early on in the day, VLT were made to fight for their place in the finals after Noble gave them a run for their money. Antidote and company closed out a comfortable win on Bind only to hit a brick wall in Psy and Harsh on Ascent. However, VLT have shown their incredible understanding of Haven and Ace’s Sova was instrumental in unlocking the map for them as they closed out a 13-7 win. 

Global Esports Vs VLT

In the grand finals, things kicked off on Bind where both teams had equal footing till VLT started making similar mistakes reminiscent of their loss earlier. Dry peeks and limited trade fragging saw GE take away crucial rounds as VLT were forced to play with a broken economy for a large part. A monster showing from Skillz helped GE close out a 13-10 victory, allowing his team to take a lead in the series. VLT were much more comfortable on Split, being able to play both halves aggressively. Ace, Antidote and Excali all contributed with big fragging numbers while Vibhor and Amaterasu were equally important with their utility as VLT evened up the series with a 13-7 win. 

Going on to Haven, Ace’s Sova was once again the difference maker in helping VLT take the win. Hellfighter and Vibhor were both on point with their Cypher play for the respective teams but overall GE lacked the depth and map knowledge that VLT brought to the table. Ascent once again exposed VLT’s weaknesses as GE were able to use a fast pace and aggressive entry fragging to cement a solid lead in their attacking half. Deathmaker and Skillz cashed in on their momentum with big performances as VLT offered little resistance in letting GE even up the series. 

The fifth and final map of the series was played on Split with many expecting a nail biter based on how close the series had been. Unfortunately,  VLT were in no mood to muck around as they put in a stellar defensive performance that saw them lose only a single round in the first half. Antidote’s signature aggressive AWPing on Jett meant that GE were always at a numbers disadvantage and were able to do little when it came to executing on to sites. With a mountain to overcome, VLT were simply at too comfortable a position to let things slip and closed out the series and the tournament with a comfortable 13-3 finish. 

RELATED:  Is A Valorant Mobile Port Coming Soon?

A fitting end to a thriller of a tournament that saw the best teams from South Asia lock horns. VLT emerge as the deserving champions, but it's clear that other teams are knocking at the door judging by how close the games were. GE has the fragging potential and the aggression to take down VLT but are lacking in experience and innovation when it comes to other aspects of the game. Noble Esports and Exceeli Esports are also close behind and this sets us up for a potentially exciting map third series.