Fnatic emerged as the champions of the Red Bull Home Ground Grand Finals, defeating Cloud9 with a score of 3-2. The VALORANT Invitational tournament reached an intense conclusion, as Fnatic steadily improved their performance and Cloud9 fell short once again, earning their second consecutive second-place finish. The Red Bull Home Ground trophy returns to the European team.
Spectacular showdown at Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena
The Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan, served as the venue for the thrilling Grand Finals. Fans both online and in attendance were treated to a spectacular display of skill and competition. Over the course of the tournament, eight teams battled for a spot in the finals. Ultimately, Cloud9 and Fnatic faced off in a best-of-five showdown to determine the ultimate winner.
Highlights of the tournament
In the Group Stages, both Fnatic and FUT Esports displayed dominant performances, securing 2-0 victories and qualifying for the Semi-Finals. FUT Esports had an especially impressive match against defending champions 100 Thieves, defeating them decisively with a score of 13-3. Local Japanese teams SCARZ and Fennel were eliminated in the Group Stages, while Cloud9, DRX, 100 Thieves, and ZETA Division advanced to the Saturday Playoffs.
Thrilling finale and triumph for Fnatic
The Playoffs began with DRX securing a resounding 2-0 victory over 100 Thieves, guaranteeing a new champion at the Red Bull Home Ground. The matchup between Cloud9 and ZETA Division was closely contested, with Cloud9 eventually emerging victorious. In the Semi-Finals, Cloud9 continued their strong performance, defeating FUT Esports 2-1. On the other side of the bracket, Fnatic dominated DRX, only allowing them to win 7 rounds across two maps.
In the Grand Finals, Cloud9 and Fnatic engaged in a nail-biting five-map battle that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. After dropping the second and third maps, Fnatic made a comeback on Lotus, leveling the score and setting the stage for an intense final showdown on Haven. Fnatic took an early lead and never looked back, ultimately winning with a score of 13-5.
Following their impressive performance throughout the tournament, newly-crowned Red Bull Home Ground Champion Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev expressed his joy and gratitude to his team and staff. He stated, “I’m feeling really good as we’ve won here twice now. I’m really happy with everyone, the boys, everyone in the team, and the staff for supporting us. Having a great match today, we played seven maps and it was really hard, but we came out on top.”
The tournament was hosted by VALORANT personalities Iain Chambers and Adam Savage, accompanied by a team of expert commentators including Tom ‘Tombizz’ Bissmire, Mitch ‘MitchMan’ McBride, Seth ‘Achilios’ King, and Clinton ‘Paperthin’ Bader.
