VALORANT Masters NA: FaZe and Sentinels Clashing in UB Final

FaZe Clan have used their momentum from Challengers 3 to get through to the penultimate match. While they already have secured a Top 3 finish for themselves, they are obviously aiming for the big trophy. Can they set themselves on top of Sentinels and advance to the Grand Finals?

Historically, Shahzeeb “ShahZaM” Khan and his men have had the upper hand – but the departure of Jay “sinatraa” Wong should – in theory – have thrown them back quite a bit. However, they’re now leading the pack and Tyson “TenZ” Ngo gives a great impression on a 1.45 rating for the event. But the leaderboard is actually being dominated by Andrej “babybay” Francisty, who had already mounted an impressive Challengers 3 run before.

THE BOTTOM TWO

After XSET had reached the Top 4 at Challengers, the team was expected to deliver some solid performances at Masters. However, Zander “thwifo” Kim and his colleagues were unable to win a single map, exiting in last place. Immortals were able to earn a map victory over Luminosity, at the very least. This still didn’t help them in the end, as they’re now out of the tournament as well. This leaves the playing field down to six participants.

But these remaining teams pack some real talent. While Gen.G have never really delivered on their promise, Luminosity started this year off with a Grand Finals victory over Sentinels in the NSG Winter Championship. Moving beyond just FaZe and Sentinels, Envy and 100 Thieves are also waiting for a chance to enter the Grand Finals.

WHO WILL SURVIVE IN THE LOWER BRACKET?

Just like Sentinels and FaZe are fighting for the Grand Finals berth in the Upper Bracket, 100T and Envy are likely to meet in the Lower Bracket. Before that, however, Nick “nitr0” Canella and his troops will first have to face Gen.G, a team they should be able to overcome with relative ease. The same holds true for Envy, as Luminosity really haven’t been in peak form during Challengers.

In the hypothetical match-up between Envy and 100T, it is virtually impossible to name a clear favorite. While Envy might have had the upper hand in recent weeks, there is no way of knowing how far the Thieves can get with Ethan “Ethan” Arnold on board. The former CS:GO pro has only been with the team for a short time and might actually elevate them to new heights. However, the ambitions of both teams have already received huge blows after losses to FaZe and Sentinels, respectively.

WHO WILL MAKE THE GRAND FINALS?

The last Upper Bracket match will be a close and heated affair. FaZe have improved massively since Challengers 2. But TenZ appears to have made Sentinels even stronger and together with Hunter “SicK” Mims, he successfully eliminated every opponent in the team’s way. Should FaZe manage to find a counter to this young Canadian, Sentinels will likely fall apart – but if they don’t, ShahZaM and the rest might have the upper hand and secure their Grand Finals slot first.

This would actually make a huge difference to them. The winners of the Upper Bracket Finals receive a map advantage for the Grand Finals, which means that this team would only need to win two more maps in order to hoist the trophy. So this match will require full focus out of both teams. FaZe and Sentinels will have enough time to prepare accordingly. This means that we can expect them to appear on the server with perfect preparation and top performances.