Exciting Developments in Day One of NA VALORANT Champions Tour Stage Two
In the first day of the NA VALORANT Champions Tour Stage Two, the Challengers One Open Qualifier showcased new lineups and agent compositions. Notable highlights include Braxton “brax” Pierce making his TSM debut, the return of Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella to Omen, and the introduction of the new controller agent, Astra.
A New Chapter for TSM with Brax on Board
There was initial confusion about Brax’s role in TSM, considering his previous experience as a Jett player for T1 in CS:GO. However, it appears that he has taken up the sentinel duty, allowing Matthew “WARDELL” Yu to reclaim his position as the Jett Operator. In TSM’s two victories, Brax played as Killjoy and Cypher.
James “hazed” Cobb Takes a Break in TSM’s Lineup
James “hazed” Cobb was absent from TSM’s lineup in the open qualifier. His return is expected after the qualifier concludes.
100 Thieves Makes Changes with their Roster
100 Thieves made adjustments to their roster by signing former CS:GO pro Ethan Arnold to replace Quan “Dicey” Tran. However, the team was eliminated from the lower bracket of Masters One by Gen.G.
Astra Makes her Debut in the Champions Tour
Astra, the newest agent in VALORANT, was picked by multiple teams in the VCT Game Changers Series and has now made her debut in the Champions Tour. Players like TSM’s Stephen “reltuC” Cutler, 100 Thieves’ Joshua “steel” Nissan, Gen.G’s Anthony “gMd” Guimond, T1’s Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham, and Twitch star Ninja have all picked up Astra. According to VLR.gg, Astra has a 25% pick rate in the open qualifier, surpassing agents like Sage, Breach, and Reyna.
A Potential Shift in Agent Picks
Omen’s pick rate may be starting to decline, with Astra’s introduction impacting his popularity. While Omen still maintains a 71% pick rate, it is lower than the usual 90% he receives. However, with teams still experimenting, these percentages may change.
Qualifiers Continue with Top Teams in the Mix
The open qualifier continues with 32 teams remaining. Notable teams such as TSM, Sentinels, 100 Thieves, T1, Envy, FaZe, Luminosity, Immortals, Gen.G, and XSET will be competing for the top eight spots to move on to the main event.
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