FunPlus Phoenix win VCT Masters Copenhagen 2022

It was a perfect Grand Final clash! The Valorant Champions Tour 2022 Stage 2 Masters final in Copenhagen saw Paper Rex fly through the upper bracket with no resistance to claim the trophy. Meanwhile, FunPlus Phoenix not only had to fight their way through the lower bracket but also had to survive with stand-in Mathias “SEIDER” Seider until the arrival of their star player Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin.

Even the playstyle of the two teams couldn’t have been more different. While Paper Rex are feared internationally for their aggressive variants, FunPlus Phoenix like to take their time with actions. Here’s the summary of VCT Masters Copenhagen Grand Final.

Bind

As expected, PRX showed aggressive pushes immediately in the first run. FPX were well prepared for this and were able to overturn many of these moves and thus win 11 of 12 rounds played before the change of sides. The few remaining rounds of the first map remained quite competitive. After FPX won the second pistol, they managed the force buy in the second round. Shortly thereafter, FPX got around to equipping weapons and with that closed the lid. Bind went 13-3 to FPX.

Icebox

The swatter on the previous map didn’t let PRX sit down and turned up the attack on Icebox itself as Wang “Jinnng” Jing-Jie finally managed to do his usual acrobatics. The PRX superstar was able to conjure up an ace in the sixth round, among other things. Half-time ended with a massive 9-3 lead for PRX. Similarly to the first map, it went back and forth for a while until PRX pulled their timeout and were finally able to force the missing rounds. The final score at Icebox was 13-7 for PRX.

Fracture

PRX opened Fracture with a flawless pistol round. After they were able to get through the following round of savings from FPX, they continued with a highly wild first half, which culminated in a 6-6 scoreline. There weren’t many highlights in the first half.

However, this changed with the attack of FPX. Like something out of a heroic saga, SUYGETSU took the lead and dizzily shot PRX with his comfort pick Viper. His individual performance, coupled with the flawless strategy to counter PRX’s aggressive pushes, propelled FPX to victory on Fracture 13-7.

Haven

The fourth map of this game got off to a curious start. FPX won the Pistol, then lost the Anti-Eco, again clinched their own saving round, and finally gave up PRX’s force buy in the fourth round. After this bumpy start, PRX were able to play down the rest of the half quite cleanly and go into the second half with a tight 7-5.

After FPX switched to offense, they were tasked with containing PRX’s aggressive defense and mostly failed. Apart from individual actions by Pontus “Zyppan” Eek and Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky, FPX couldn’t resist and ceded the map 13-7 to PRX.

Breeze

Another strong performance from Shao gave FPX a 3-0 lead early in the fourth map, but then the tide turned and PRX got five laps in a row. They confused FPX with their odd agent choices Yoru, Neon, Breach, Fade, and Astra. The fact that Viper was dropped probably shocked everyone. However, each gimmick is of a temporary nature and so FPX called their timeout, discussed their problems and switched over.

Their solution was to hand Ardis ‘ardiis’ Svarenieks an Operator and send him into aggressive positions. This change worked out well and FPX got all the other rounds to change sides. Initially, PRX played flawlessly, securing the first four rounds of the second half. Then, FPX flipped the mental switch and seemed unstoppable. Despite strong individual performances by the PRX players, FPX won round after round and didn’t give any more. The final score on Breeze was 13-9 for FPX.

Paper Rex win hearts of fans

Even if Paper Rex failed this time again FunPlus Phoenix, they won everyone’s hearts. Their uncharacteristically explosive style was a delight to watch and they’ve already permanently changed the meta in Valorant. The team has revealed that they far exceeded their own expectations of qualifying for the Champions tournament and are happy with their placement. The biggest Valorant event of the year Champions 2022 is set to kick off on September 2.

Header: Riot Games