Cloud9 Blue Become First North American Team to Reach VALORANT Champions Playoffs
Cloud9 Blue has achieved a significant victory by defeating Vision Strikers in the Group D decider match, making them the first North American team to secure a spot in the VALORANT Champions playoffs.
C9 began the series with an impressive performance on offense, where Vision Strikers struggled to counter their dominance. C9 won eight consecutive rounds in the first half of Ascent before Vision Strikers managed to halt their momentum in round nine. Despite this minor setback, the North American team quickly regained control, winning the last three rounds and concluding the first half with a scoreline of 11-1.
However, Vision Strikers came alive in the second half and won five rounds in a row, including an impressive triple kill from BuZz in round 15. C9 managed to secure the 18th round, but Vision Strikers continued their strong performance by winning the next four rounds. Nevertheless, C9 prevented their opponents from making a comeback and ended the match in round 23, ultimately winning Ascent with a score of 13-10.
In the next map, Split, Vision Strikers chose their favored map, but C9’s Xeppa displayed a strong start with a triple kill followed by an ace in the second round. However, Vision Strikers managed to halt C9’s spree in round three, refusing to let them run away with the match as they did on Ascent.
On offense, Vision Strikers performed well and took their first lead of the series in round six. Both teams engaged in fierce back-and-forth, resulting in a 6-6 score at the end of the half. Vanity’s defuse in round nine with seconds to spare exemplified the closely matched competition between the two teams.
The tides shifted in the second half, with Vision Strikers taking the first three rounds and establishing a slight lead. They secured a flawless round in round 14, further consolidating their advantage. C9 only managed to win three rounds during the remainder of the half, allowing Vision Strikers to force a game three by winning Split with a score of 13-9.
The final map, Breeze, would determine the series winner. Although Vision Strikers won the pistol round by defusing the Spike, C9 once again dominated on offense. They secured six consecutive rounds, establishing a substantial lead. Vision Strikers won three rounds of their own, preventing C9 from building an insurmountable advantage. Leaf’s impressive performance with a triple kill in round 11 and a quadruple kill in round 12 further solidified C9’s position. The half ended with C9 leading 8-4.
Vision Strikers, determined to fight till the end, won the first two rounds of the second half. They continued to perform well, winning five more rounds to bring the score to 11-12. Vision Strikers needed to win one more round to force overtime. In round 24, Vision Strikers had the weapon advantage, but C9 held the A site and closed out the series, securing their spot in the playoffs.
Cloud9 Blue has become the first North American team to advance to the VALORANT Champions playoffs. They will face Team Liquid tomorrow at 2pm CT.
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