LOUD have put an end to OpTic Gaming’s hot streak today with a quick 2-0 victory, punching their ticket to the grand finals of VALORANT Champions 2022.
OpTic have lost the first map of every series at VALORANT Champions Istanbul, and today was no different. LOUD came into Bind with the hopes of catching OpTic off guard to get an easy advantage in the series. Before the upper bracket final at Champions, OpTic had only lost two other times on Bind internationally.
The first half was scrappy with both teams trading clutch rounds before ending in a 6-6 tie. It was during the second half that LOUD, and more importantly Less, began to turn things up a notch. Not even yay was able to carry his teammates through the defensive rounds, resulting in a 13-10 map win for LOUD.
With the momentum now behind them and their best map ahead, LOUD headed to Ascent with their eyes on the first spot in the grand finals. Traditionally, OpTic have gotten the better of LOUD at every turn, winning the last three of the four series where the two faced off. This time around, though, the members of LOUD were warmed up and ready to punish OpTic, whose members looked lost.
Both Marved and FNS struggled to win gunfights and rotations on Ascent, resulting in a 9-3 half in favor of the Brazilians. Less continued to impress even as Killjoy on the attack, making the defensive side all too easy to close map two out. A flawless second half resulted in a clinical 13-3 win for LOUD to send OpTic down to the lower bracket. OpTic now await the winner of FunPlus Phoenix and DRX.
