Acend Crowned First-Ever VALORANT World Champions with Victory over Gambit
Acend emerged as the winners of the VCT Champions tournament in a grueling five-map series against Gambit. In doing so, they claimed the title of the first official VALORANT world champions.
Acend continued their dominant form from the G2 matchup, displaying an impressive defense on Breeze. Zeek’s KAY/O utility disrupted Gambit’s executes, allowing cNed to pick off opponents with his Jett/Op combo. Gambit struggled to secure site control and early kills throughout the half, only managing to gain momentum in the last two rounds. Acend had a commanding 9-3 lead at halftime.
Gambit won the pistol round in the second half, but their momentum quickly halted when they pushed too far and fell victim to Zeek’s NULL/cmd ultimate. Acend took advantage of this and stormed the A site, extending their lead to 11-5. However, nAts from Gambit’s Viper utility mounted a comeback, winning three crucial rounds. Acend then shifted their strategy to the B site, but nAts was once again a formidable force behind his toxic walls. Gambit’s stellar defense allowed them to make a comeback and secure a 13-11 win.
Acend started strong on Ascent, with BONECOLD’s economy-busting 4K using the Sheriff in the second round. They capitalized on the smaller sites and aggressive pushes on the attack, resulting in a 7-5 lead at halftime. Gambit fought back, but Acend maintained control by winning the pistol, anti-eco, and bonus rounds. With a 12-5 lead, Gambit managed a couple of attack rounds, but BONECOLD’s Sova ultimate dismantled their A site execute, securing a 13-7 victory for Acend.
Fracture saw Gambit showcasing impressive attack rounds, claiming the first three rounds and executing flawlessly in the bonus round. Acend struggled to gain defensive momentum, and Gambit’s Nats and Chronicle had an outstanding combined performance with 36 kills and only three deaths. Gambit secured a decisive 13-3 win, with Nats finishing with an incredible 26-3 KD rating.
The action continued on Icebox, with Acend taking an early lead. Both teams traded rounds during the buy rounds, but Acend relied on cNed’s performance with the Jett/Op combo on the A site. Gambit mounted another late rally, reducing their halftime deficit to 7-5.
Gambit capitalized on their momentum, winning the pistol, anti-eco, and first full-buy round, taking a 10-8 lead after trailing earlier. The second half continued to go back and forth, resulting in overtime. Acend gained an advantage with an aggressive play from starxo, securing a win in the first round of overtime. They held off a defuse in the following round, ultimately winning Icebox 14-12.
The series culminated on Split, where Acend built a lead with strong defensive rounds on the B site. However, Gambit reversed the tide, securing four consecutive rounds to close out the half. Acend secured the second pistol round, but Gambit responded with aggressive peeks in the first full-buy round. Despite Gambit’s attempt at a comeback, Acend successfully defended the A site and read Gambit’s aggressive plays on B. Acend closed out the series with a 13-8 victory on Split.
This victory for Acend echoes their triumph in the EU Masters One tournament against Team Heretics, where they also won the second, fourth, and fifth maps.
Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
Acend, VCT Champions, VALORANT, world champions, Gambit, Breeze, Zeek, KAY/O, cNed, Jett/Op, Ascent, nAts, Viper, BONECOLD, Sheriff, Fracture, Icebox, starxo, Split, EU Masters One, Team Heretics.