VCT 2022 NA LCQ roundup: Sentinels get their first win

Babybay is really good, but what else is new? Shroud and Zellsis add a much needed spark to the Sentinels lineup that they sorely missed over the last few showings. A lot of careers are on the line in the lower bracket run, so expect a level of competition with higher urgency.

North America Last Chance Qualfier

The remaining eight best teams in North America that haven’t qualified for Valorant Champions 2022 will get one more shot at it. Optic Gaming and XSET have already punched in their ticket, but who will be NA’s third representative in Istanbul?

The North American Last Chance Qualifier is the last event on the NA Valorant Championship Tour 2022 heading up to Valorant Champions. The teams will match up in a double-elimination bracket, with the highest seeds starting off matched up versus the lowest seeds. Still, a lot of roster moves and practicing has happened since these teams last faced off, so expect intense competition. 

Upper bracket NA LCQ

FaZe Clan matched up versus 100 Thieves in the second upper bracket semifinal after The Guard swept Cloud9 the day prior. FaZe won the match 2-1, carried by the broad shoulders of its entry fragger Andrej “babybay” Francisty, who took on the challenge. The 312 ACS and 70 kills for the series definitely justified all of the praise he received from the casters and social media.

Multiple clutches to mount a comeback on map three Ascent explains why he had 106 more ACS than anyone else on his team. But someone else apart from Phat “supamen” Le must step up to help Babybay if they’re to have any chance of beating the well-oiled machine that is The Guard. They face off in the upper bracket final on August 12 at 10 pm CEST.

Lower bracket NA LCQ

The talk of the tournament has been the new Sentinels roster and they finally managed to secure their first win. After a close loss in the upper bracket, Sentinels cleaned up their act and got a 2-0 win against the Shopify Rebellion in the lower bracket. Map two went the distance, finishing 17-15 after four overtimes. Their latest addition, player Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro, had a monster showing, securing crucial rounds and getting first bloods, allowing Sentinels easy site takes.

There’s still a long road ahead for Sentinels, who face off against 100 Thieves in the lower bracket semifinals on August 11 at 10 pm CEST. Get your popcorn ready, and expect a lot of hype and huge viewership, since each loss means the end of the season for these high-profile teams.

NRG and Cloud9 face off in the other lower bracket semifinal, and it should be a very competitive and high-quality matchup. Both teams are stacked with former competitive NA CS:GO players and some young talent, which makes it more interesting.

This will be the last online event before franchising takes place, so a lot of these teams and players won’t be competing in the tier one scene next year. If there is a time to leave an impression it’s probably now, and both teams have to forget everything and play round for round.

 Header: Riot Games