Dark Zero Upsets FaZe Clan in VCT Stage Three: Challengers One Open Qualifier
The VCT Stage Three: Challengers One open qualifier saw a day full of upsets, with Dark Zero delivering the final blow by knocking out FaZe Clan in the round of 32.
This was Dark Zero’s first tournament since entering VALORANT just a week ago. They acquired the core of the Kooky Koalas roster and added former NRG and Immortals player Yannick “KOLER” Blanchette to complete their lineup. Dark Zero defeated Night Raid and CoT in their first two matches, securing a spot against the formidable FaZe Clan team. FaZe Clan had recently made changes to their roster, bringing in Hunter “BabyJ” Schline after Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen went on loan to Team Envy.
Similar to the Noble upset against TSM, Dark Zero struck first on FaZe Clan’s map pick, Ascent, after two periods of overtime. Despite FaZe Clan having a 10-7 lead on defense at one point, Dark Zero made a comeback, with Corey Nigra’s impressive 31-kill performance unable to halt their momentum. However, FaZe Clan rallied back in the second map, dominating Haven with a 13-4 victory. Dark Zero had a 4-1 lead early in the map, but FaZe Clan won 12 consecutive rounds to even the series.
The match between FaZe Clan and DarkZero on Icebox was a closely contested battle. DarkZero initially had control, but FaZe Clan went on a run to close the half. However, DarkZero started the second half with their own strong run. Corey once again led the server in kills with 22, but DarkZero emerged victorious thanks to a team effort.
This victory gives DarkZero the opportunity to advance to the Challengers One main event in their debut tournament under their new organization. When they competed as Kooky Koalas, they reached Challengers Three in Stage One as the only unsigned team, but were swiftly eliminated by Luminosity and Gen.G. A win against XSET on Saturday would secure their return to Challengers.
FaZe Clan will regroup and strategize for their next move, as they still have a chance to qualify for the Challengers Playoffs, Masters, or Champions. Another open qualifier awaits them for a chance to participate in future Challengers events. However, they have fallen short in three consecutive VCT open qualifiers.
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