VCT 2023 Champions: Paper Rex and Evil Geniuses Advance to Upper Bracket Final

The VALORANT Champions 2023 playoffs continue, and after two intense and exciting matches, Paper Rex and Evil Geniuses are one step away from qualifying for the tournament’s Grand Final.

Paper Rex pulled out their chest to send LOUD, the reigning champions of VCT Champions 2022, to the Lower Bracket. Meanwhile, Evil Geniuses blew the table by crushing DRX 2-0.

From now on, we will have do-or-die matches in the tournament, especially in the Lower Bracket, as two of our favorite teams are on the brink, LOUD and Fnatic. As a result, it is now confirmed that we will not be able to enjoy a Grand Final between LOUD and Fnatic, and it is even possible that neither of them will make it to the final match.

Likewise, it is also worth noting that Paper Rex and EG continue to demonstrate a spectacular quality of play and are justly deserving of being in these instances of the tournament.

Without further ado, let’s see what happened in the VCT Champions 2023 Upper Bracket semifinal matches.

Two squads advance in the Upper Bracket. #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/QpJtkY5s0b

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 20, 2023

Paper Rex annihilate the reigning champions of VCT Champions 2022

Paper Rex, the VCT Pacific League champion team, crushed LOUD a few hours ago to seal their ticket to the VALORANT Champions 2023 Upper Bracket final. The Brazilian squad had many problems in this series, despite being confident after beating Fnatic in the Quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Paper Rex continues with a great level of play, and right now, they are just one step away from the Grand Final.

It all started at Lotus, LOUD’s map pick, where we witnessed a really interesting match from start to finish. In the first half, LOUD stepped up to take a 7-5 partial victory. Then, at the change of sides, Paper Rex hit back with a great defensive play to even the score 12-12. Finally, in Overtime, Paper Rex prevailed to take the 15-13 win to take a 1-0 series lead.

On the second map, Split, LOUD was inspired from start to finish, as they pulled off a crushing 13-2 victory, where Paper Rex could do nothing in either half.

Finally, in Pearl, we again had a balanced and exciting match. Paper Rex started their attacking side very well and took a partial victory in the first half by 7-5. Then, at the change of sides, LOUD could not overcome the defense of the Asian squad, and consequently, they fell by 10-13.

#WGAMING GETS IT DONE!

Paper Rex moves on to the Upper Bracket Final! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/SiFANI3ozO

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 19, 2023

Evil Geniuses crush DRX 2-0

The second match of these Upper Bracket semifinals left us with a crushing victory by Evil Geniuses against DRX by 2-0. The truth is that the North American squad was always much more than the South Korean, as it was a very deserved victory, as well as expected.

It all started in Fracture, EG’s map pick, where we could observe EG’s high level of play in this tournament after a solid victory in the first half by 8-4. Then, at the change of sides, DRX tried to wake up by winning 3 of the first 4 rounds. However, it stayed there as EG ran the steamroller on their attacking side to take the 13-9 win.

Finally, the teams moved to Lotus, the map pick of the South Korean squad, where the Americans, once again, put a big hit on the table to take the win. In the first half, EG annihilated DRX’s defense and took a 10-2 victory. Finally, after five rounds in the second half, Evil Geniuses closed the map with a 13-4 victory to qualify for the Upper Bracket finals.

THE VILLAIN ARC CONTINUES 😈

Evil Geniuses advance to the Upper Bracket Final! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/ZwnGnUa4Ej

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 20, 2023

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