Brazilian Squad LOUD Dominates VCT Americas Finals, Secures Top Seed for VALORANT Masters Tokyo
Brazilian team LOUD showcased their dominance in the VCT Americas finals as they swept aside rivals NRG Esports on May 28. The near-flawless VCT Americas run solidifies LOUD’s position as a powerhouse in competitive VALORANT, just in time for the Tokyo Masters.
The runner-ups of the VALORANT LOCK//IN tournament were determined to become the first VCT Americas champions. Throughout the regular season, LOUD dominated, only losing a single series to NRG, their grand final opponents.
LOUD continued their high-level performance in the playoffs, defeating their fellow countrymen FURIA and a resurgent Evil Geniuses in three intense maps. The grand final against NRG marked an ‘El Clasico’ moment in the Americas region, as the VALORANT rivalry between the two teams dates back years.
Related: VCT Americas 2023 – Scores, Schedule, Format, Standings
While the grand final ended in a 3-0 sweep in favor of LOUD, the scoreline does not reflect the closely contested nature of the match. LOUD had to fight hard on both the Bind and Fracture maps, needing all 25 regulation rounds to defeat NRG. A standout moment occurred during the Fracture map at 9-9, where finals MVP Saadhak pulled off a one-versus-four ace clutch, impressing the crowd with his game sense and accuracy.
Saadhak, alongside Arthur “tuyz” Vieira, displayed exceptional teamwork during a two-versus-five situation. Saadhak managed to eliminate three players on the site, including Sam “s0m” Oh through a wallbang. He then secured two one-versus-ones in the post-plant phase, giving LOUD the advantage. Saadhak ended up leading the stats leaderboard, amassing 54 kills across the three maps.
Felipe “less” Basso, who stepped up to captain the squad in the final, expressed his disbelief following the victory. He said, “The first one is always remembered in history. For being a Brazilian team, this is especially huge.” Erick “aspas” Santos, who earned the VCT Americas MVP title with a consistent performance in the group stage, added, “My team is incredible. Even if I don’t hit my shots, I know my team is going to cover me. It feels amazing.”
LOUD’s win in the VCT Americas adds another accolade to their rapidly growing VALORANT trophy cabinet, which includes their VALORANT Champions title in Istanbul, Turkey, and multiple regional victories since their debut in 2022.
As the winners of VCT Americas, LOUD secures a top seed alongside Team Liquid, Fnatic, and Paper Rex for VALORANT Masters Tokyo in June. Additionally, their championship win guarantees their spot in the next VALORANT Champions LAN event in August 2023.
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