North American VCT Challengers One: Week Four Recap
The fourth week of the North American VCT Challengers One group stage is now complete. Cloud9, Version1, and The Guard, who were undefeated teams, maintained their win streaks and top spots in the rankings. On the other hand, NRG, 100 Thieves, and Evil Geniuses have been eliminated and will have to focus on the next set of open qualifiers.
Stagnant Rankings
In contrast to the previous week, where there were significant movements in the rankings, this week saw minimal changes. Out of the 12 teams, 10 of them remained in the same position, while the other two only shifted up or down by one rank.
Power Rankings for NA VCT 2022 Challengers One
| Rank | Team | Rank change |
| 1 | Cloud9 | – |
| 2 | Version1 | – |
| 3 | The Guard | – |
| 4 | OpTic | – |
| 5 | Sentinels | – |
| 6 | XSET | – |
| 7 | Luminosity | – |
| 8 | Rise | – |
| 9 | Knights | – |
| 10 | 100 Thieves | +1 |
| 11 | NRG | -1 |
| 12 | Evil Geniuses | – |
Teams Eliminated: 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses, NRG Esports
100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses, and NRG Esports were unable to secure a win in week four, effectively ending their chances of reaching the playoffs.
Among these teams, 100 Thieves had the most dramatic journey during this stage. They received a direct invite to the main event, introduced new players, replaced them after two losses, and ultimately brought in two stand-ins that they could have signed during the off-season. In their match against XSET, 100 Thieves suffered a decisive loss on Bind after splitting two competitive maps on Breeze and Fracture.
In week five, 100 Thieves will go against EG, another team that has yet to win a match. EG faced a tough loss against the undefeated The Guard in their previous match. While EG’s situation may seem bleak, it’s important to note that their roster is the newest among all the teams in the group stage, and their performance so far has exceeded expectations.
NRG had an inconsistent group stage. They showed glimpses of potential by defeating top teams like Sentinels and Version1 in some weeks, but other times, they were outplayed by OpTic and XSET. The team struggled throughout the entire stage, aside from their Jett main s0m. Despite having opportunities to capitalize on, NRG failed to deliver.
Fierce Battle for the Final Playoff Spot: OpTic Gaming and Rise
OpTic Gaming and Rise missed their chances to secure a playoff spot in week four, leaving the door open for the surging Knights. Now, the pressure is on OpTic and Rise as they head into their week five matchups.
Rise had a similar experience to NRG in week one. They had a one-map lead against Sentinels but couldn’t stop them from making a comeback. SicK’s outstanding performance on Fracture and Bind contributed to Sentinels’ victory.
OpTic, on the other hand, faced a tough battle against Version1. They dominated the undefeated team on Ascent at the start of the series but ultimately fell short after consecutive losses on Haven and Icebox. Victor, who had performed well in previous weeks, struggled in this match, averaging less than nine kills per map.
OpTic has the ability to secure a playoff spot with a win in week five, regardless of the outcome of the Rise vs. NRG match. However, if OpTic loses to the Knights, who have won two consecutive matches, and Rise wins against NRG, Rise will advance to the playoffs based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Teams Ready to Prove Themselves in Playoffs: Sentinels, XSET, Luminosity, Knights
Sentinels, XSET, Luminosity, and Knights have secured their spots in the playoffs, although it wasn’t an easy journey for any of them.
The dominant Sentinels from last year have yet to fully show their strength in this stage, but they have demonstrated resilience by recovering from map one losses multiple times. This week, they defeated Rise with wins on Fracture and Bind. SicK stood out with an impressive performance in the match, playing various roles for the team.
XSET ended 100 Thieves’ hopes of making it to the playoffs by securing a win against them this week. Despite losing their previous two series, Cryocells played a crucial role in XSET’s success with outstanding performances on Breeze and Split using Jett and Chamber, respectively.
Luminosity may have lost to Cloud9 this week, but their earlier wins against EG and 100 Thieves, along with those teams’ losses, secured their spot in the playoffs. While they were decisively beaten on Haven, C9’s pick and one of Luminosity’s best maps, they came close to winning Bind and forcing a third map against the undefeated LCQ champions. XSET and LG will face each other in week five in a tune-up match before the playoffs.
The Knights secured their playoff spot with back-to-back wins against Rise and NRG. Although they had a rough start with losses to Version1 and Sentinels, the Knights learned from those matches and applied those lessons to their subsequent victories. XXiF, skuba, and ban have been instrumental in their recent wins and will need to continue their strong performances for a successful playoff run.
Undefeated and Unchallenged (for now): Cloud9, Version1, The Guard
Cloud9 and The Guard are set for a head-to-head clash in week five to determine who will maintain their perfect 5-0 record. Both teams secured comfortable two-map victories this week, with standout performances from C9’s leaf and The Guard’s Sayaplayer.
Version1 faced their toughest challenge so far against OpTic in this increasingly difficult stage. Despite suffering a significant loss on their own map pick of Haven, they rallied and dominated with 13-5 wins on both Haven and Icebox, including a 12-round win streak on Haven. Every player on Version1 has contributed at some point in this stage, and they will need exceptional performances against Sentinels next week and in the playoffs.
As the playoffs approach, these three teams remain undefeated, but the upcoming matches will test their dominance.