VCT 2022 Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen finals preview

After 12 days of competition, only four teams remain in the fight for the crown at the Valorant  Champions Tour 2022 Stage 2 Masters in Copenhagen. The finals of the event start today, with only four matches left before the Champions are crowned. 

A lot of upsets and storylines happened throughout the group stage and the quarterfinals, but now only four teams stand. LOUD’s early and unexpected exit, the lower bracket dominance of FunPlus Phoenix, and XSET’s flame-out are just some of the topics that highlighted the tournament so far.

Upper bracket

Optic Gaming

Both representatives from the North American Championship series started off slow by losing their first match, but Optic managed to bounce back. Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker has been constantly picking up the level of his play after the first match, and Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen has been nothing short of sensational and probably the best Controller in the world. Optic have looked better and better with each map and they face off against a tough opponent on Friday, July 22.

PaperRex

The APAC champions PaperRex have been scorching hot throughout this tournament, with two quick 2-0 series to reach the upper bracket finals. They haven’t lost a game since the end of May and since they already matched their fourth-place finish from the Rejkyavik Masters, expect a lot of aggression from them. This is a team that has nothing to lose, with all of the momentum you can imagine in their sails. The Covid situation of their star player Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto might be a setback, but their team’s chemistry seems unmatched.  

Lower bracket

FPX

FPX and FNATIC face off in the lower bracket, where the winner will advance to the lower bracket finals to face off against the loser of the Optic and PaperRex match. FPX have made two lower bracket runs in this event, with a tournament-high 13 maps played through five matches. Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks has been the only consistent performer throughout the adversity this team faced in this tournament. Their history in head-to-head matchups versus FNATIC tells us that someone else has to step up for their fairy tale to continue.

FNATIC

FNATIC on the other hand have been as good as advertised coming in as the first seed from the EMEA. But they showed glimpses of their issues in high pressured situations in post-plant scenarios. Emir Ali “Alfajer” Beder has looked like the team’s best player at times despite being 17 years old. The high level of his performance despite being taken off the Duelist role should bring hope to FNATIC fans. Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev and Jake “Boaster” Howlett have talked a lot of talk throughout the season but now it’s time to show up and carry FNATIC to its first international tournament win.

Header: Riot Games