VALORANT Game Changers Championship Continues with Shopify Rebellion vs. X10 Sapphire
The ongoing 2022 VALORANT Game Changers Championship is in full swing, with teams battling it out in the lower bracket. The first match of the day featured North America’s Shopify Rebellion and Thailand’s X10 Sapphire, both teams boasting experienced players from CS:GO, such as bENITA and JinNy.
Today’s match was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, with both teams showcasing their strengths throughout the two maps played. Despite a slow start, Shopify secured a 2-0 victory with the exceptional performance of their star duelist player, sonder.
The Game Changers tournament had to make scheduling adjustments due to the presence of underage players. Local restrictions in Berlin prevent minors from working late at night. As a result, the opening match was rescheduled from 8am CT to 6am CT. Nevertheless, both teams demonstrated great determination and skill on the map Haven.
X10 Sapphire’s choice of Haven as their map pick came as no surprise, as they had remained unbeaten on the map in their last 11 matches. The APAC team played with an aggressive strategy, catching Shopify off guard and securing a commanding 9-3 lead on their attacking side during the first half.
However, Shopify, a team accustomed to facing tough challenges in their region, made a stunning comeback in the second half, ultimately forcing the map into overtime. The teams traded rounds until Shopify emerged victorious with a score of 16-14.
In the post-match interview, sonder mentioned X10 Sapphire’s aggressive playstyle as a reason for their early struggles on the map.
For their map pick, Shopify chose Pearl. Building on their momentum from the close call on Haven, they dominated the game. Although Babytz put up a fight with an impressive performance as Chamber, sonder truly shined and led her team to a convincing victory.
X10 Sapphire struggled to secure rounds in their favor, and their intermittent wins were insufficient to build their economy.
To finish off the match, sonder secured an outstanding ace with a perfectly executed Neon ultimate, earning her team a 13-6 victory and herself the player of the match title.
X10 Sapphire has now been eliminated from the tournament. Shopify will move on to face the winner of Cloud 9 White vs. GUILD X. If Cloud 9 White emerges victorious, it will set up a highly anticipated rematch between the two top teams in North America, who have been battling it out all year.
Shopify’s next match is scheduled for tomorrow, November 19, at 10am CT.
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