Rise Victorious in NA LCQ Upper Bracket Final, One Step Away from VCT Champions
Rise Esports secured a significant victory against 100 Thieves in the upper bracket final of the North American LCQ. This win propels them to the grand finals and puts them just one series away from qualifying for VCT Champions.
On the map Breeze, 100 Thieves took an early lead while playing on the attacking side. Rise opted for an aggressive playstyle in the middle of the map, and 100T capitalized on their patience and defensive play. Hiko’s impressive 1v3 clutch in the eighth round and an exceptional performance by Asuna’s Empress-powered Reyna in the last round gave 100T a 7-5 lead at halftime.
Despite 100T winning the second half pistol round, Rise made a comeback with outstanding plays from supamen and neptune. Both nitr0 and Shanks showcased their skills with Jett to secure crucial rounds for their respective teams, tying the score at 11-11. Rise managed to win a 2v3 situation on the A site, taking a 12-11 lead despite Ethan and Asuna’s Skye and Reyna ultimates. In the subsequent round, 100T attempted a 5v5 retake on A, but it fell apart, allowing Rise to steal Breeze with a 13-11 victory.
On Ascent, after losing the pistol round, Rise took a risk and forced up Sheriffs and half armor in the second round. However, they couldn’t break into the A site as nitr0 and Asuna held their ground for 100T. Rise managed to get onto the scoreboard but lost the next round to Hiko’s impressive 3K with the Guardian. 100T continued to dominate, taking an 8-4 lead into their attacking side.
100T won the second pistol round as well, extending their lead to 10-5 before the first full buy round. However, Rise quickly turned the tide by shutting down a 100T A Link push and displaying a flawless hold of the A site. Rise reduced the lead to 10-9 before both teams exchanged significant gun rounds. Eventually, 100T’s proficiency in executing the A split allowed them to scrape by with a 13-10 victory on Ascent.
The series shifted to Haven, and 100T took an early lead after winning the first gun round, thanks to nitr0 and Ethan’s impressive fragging. 100T’s patient gameplay enabled them to confidently attack any site, and their post-plant strategies and entry fragging skills led them to early round victories. However, Rise’s Shanks (Jett) and neptune (Phoenix) made impressive plays to bring Rise back into the game, trailing only 7-5 at halftime despite a 7-2 disadvantage.
Rise continued their momentum into the attack side of the map, tying the score at 7-7 before 100T reclaimed the lead. Ethan’s outstanding triple kill in the first gun round of the second half brought his kill count to 18 after just 16 rounds. Asuna replicated the feat in the following round with a triple kill of his own, preventing a last-second spike plant by supamen. However, neptune’s triple kill kept Rise alive, tying the score at 10-10. With the score tied at 11-11, Rise executed a successful attack on the A site, despite 100T stacking their defense. This put Rise on match point and prompted a clever fake-out that allowed them to secure an easy A plant and hold off the retake, ultimately sealing the map with a 13-11 victory and winning the series 2-1.
With this win, Rise advances to the grand finals of the NA LCQ, where they will face a best-of-five series to determine which team joins Sentinels, Team Envy, and the international field at VCT Champions.
Rise Esports, 100 Thieves, NA LCQ, VCT Champions, Breeze, Ascent, Haven, grand finals, upper bracket final, victory, series, best-of-five, Sentinels, Team Envy, international field