DRX Advances to Semifinals in VALORANT Champions Tournament
The VALORANT Champions tournament continued today in Istanbul, featuring a matchup between EMEA’s Fnatic and Korea’s DRX. Both teams were determined to secure a win and avoid elimination. Despite their previous top-two finishes in international VCT tournaments, Fnatic has never clinched the title, while DRX struggled to progress beyond the playoffs.
However, today, DRX broke their top-six curse and advanced to the semifinals of VCT Champions 2022. Despite a rough start on the first map, DRX rallied around their stars BuZz and Rb, defeating Fnatic 2-1 and eliminating the EMEA team from the tournament.
Match Recap
The match began on Icebox, Fnatic’s favored map. Although Fnatic had struggled against FURIA on this map during the group stage, it had been a strong pick for them throughout the year. On the other hand, DRX had little experience playing Icebox during the 2022 season or at Champions.
Fnatic started strong, with Derke paving the way with a 4k in the opening pistol round. By the third round, Derke had already obtained his ultimate ability. Despite Fnatic’s early lead, DRX’s BuZz and the rest of the team gradually picked up momentum and closed the gap, ending the first half with a score of 7-5 in favor of Fnatic.
Despite DRX’s glimpses of hope, they only managed to secure two rounds on the attack side, ultimately losing Icebox with a score of 13-7. For Fnatic, Mistic proved to be a standout player on this map, showcasing his best performance on LAN during the Champions tournament. His supportive gameplay, highlighted by flawless and innovative Sage walls on Icebox, made a significant difference for his team.
On DRX’s map pick, Ascent, both teams opted for a composition featuring Jett. Many teams in VCT Champions had primarily utilized Chamber on this map to capitalize on its long sightlines.
The crowd in Istanbul firmly supported Fnatic throughout, continuously chanting Alfajer’s name. Playing on the stage in his home country, the 17-year-old Alfajer displayed outstanding performance on LAN, even out-fragging Fnatic’s usual star, Derke.
Despite Fnatic’s strong showing, Mako and BuZz led DRX to an overtime victory on Ascent, silencing the EMEA-biased arena. DRX secured the map with a score of 14-12.
Carrying the momentum from the previous map, DRX dominated Fracture with an impressive pistol round win on defense. BuZz continued to shine on Chamber, while Rb played with confidence and aggression on Neon.
While Fnatic did their best to keep up, the rounds swung back and forth in the second half. In contrast to Rb’s effortless movement around the map, Alfajer struggled to have an impact on Neon, and his absence proved detrimental for Fnatic.
Rb ended the map with an impressive KDA of 21/15, taking high risks but delivering results. DRX secured three consecutive rounds to clinch the map with a score of 13-9.
DRX secured a close 2-1 victory, ending Fnatic’s journey in the tournament. The cheers for Fnatic faded away as DRX celebrated with their fans in Istanbul.
Advancing to the semifinals, DRX achieved their best finish in an international VCT tournament. They will now face the winner of FPX vs. XSET and aim to progress through the lower bracket to reach the grand final.
DRX will have two days of rest before their next match on September 16 at 12pm CT.
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