XSET defeats 100 Thieves in the Upper Bracket Final of NA VCT Stage Three Challengers One
XSET sought redemption after their victories against Sentinels in the VALORANT Champions Tour’s first two stages. In a surprising turn of events, they defeated 100 Thieves in the upper bracket final of the NA VCT Stage Three Challengers One main event.
Aggressive Defense Strategies and Astra’s Utility
Similar to Sentinels, 100 Thieves employed an aggressive defense tactic on Haven. XSET cleverly countered this aggression by utilizing Astra’s abilities to smoke off chokepoints and withstand retakes using gravity wells. Despite Asuna’s heroic play and nitr0’s smart Omen teleport resulting in a tie at half-time, both teams traded runs in the second half. The intense back-and-forth eventually led to overtime, with XSET’s Zekken dominating the rounds and securing a massive OT win. Zekken also topped the server in kills with 27.
100 Thieves’ Strong Defense on Icebox
Needing a decisive win, 100 Thieves demonstrated a strong defensive strategy on Icebox. They played more passively, relying on retakes rather than early kills. Asuna proved to be a standout player with 19 kills in the first half as Reyna, including an impressive ace on the zipline. With a ten-round cushion, 100 Thieves reached map point, and Hiko’s extraordinary 3k in the final round sealed the victory, with Icebox ending at 13-4 in favor of 100 Thieves.
Victory in Ascent and Securing a Spot in the Grand Final
The final showdown between XSET and 100 Thieves occurred in Ascent, mirroring the decision of the EU VCT lower bracket final. Although 100 Thieves’ steel made fantastic plays with his rifle, XSET managed to maintain a slight lead in the first half. The second half was a close battle, but XSET’s Astra play by dephh and late heroics from AYRIN propelled them to a series victory, with Ascent ending at 13-9 in favor of XSET.
With this triumph, XSET has secured their place in the Challengers One grand final, a best-of-five match to be held on Sunday. Meanwhile, 100 Thieves will compete in the lower bracket final against the winner of the Team Envy/Sentinels match. All four teams have already secured spots in the NA Challengers Playoffs, where eight teams will compete for three spots at VCT Masters Three Berlin.
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