The two-map series was contested on Sunset and Haven, with Sentinels picking Sunset, DRX picking Haven, and Icebox as the decider, which wasn’t needed.

SENTINELS WIN THEIR FIRST PLAYOFF MATCH OF #VALORANTChampions SEOUL! pic.twitter.com/1brgBzRMIc

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 14, 2024

Sunset, the first map, was a nail-biter, ending 15�C13 in Sentinels’ favour.

DRX found a five-round streak to reach map point at 12-11 after being down 11-7, but Sentinels narrowly clinched the map in overtime.

One of the standout moments was Zachary “Zekken” Jude Patrone’s VALORANT Champions Tour debut on Neon, where he delivered a stunning ace in the first half, his first in international competition this year.

Zekken dominated the map with a 27-23 scoreline and eight first-bloods, outdueling DRX’s Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul, who also played Neon.

Despite the victory, DRX head coach Pyeon “termi” Seon-ho noted that his team could have won if they had remained calm in key moments.

The loss of a 5v3 in the final rounds of regulation highlighted the tense nature of the match.

Haven, the second map, saw Zekken again on Neon.

DRX’s defence initially held strong, winning six rounds on a map typically considered attack-sided.

However, Sentinels’ defensive reads proved crucial, particularly in their ability to hold A site.

A flawless Round 19, featuring a triple kill from Zekken, brought Sentinels to match point.

They quickly closed out the map 13-8, with DRX’s Jung “Foxy9” Jae-sung admitting that hopes faded when they were down 7-12 with only one player remaining against Sentinels’ four.

Sentinels’ head coach kaplan commented on the similarities between Gen.G and DRX, noting their structured playstyles and preference for repeating strategies.

Zekken finished with a server-leading 54 kills across the two maps, while DRX’s Cho “Flashback” Min-hyuk led his team with 39.

When asked about his Neon pick, Zekken jokingly attributed it to “feeling really Filipino today,” adding that the team had been preparing Neon for some time and was confident in using her.

EDWARD IS GAMING!

EDG WINS THE BATTLE OF CN AT #VALORANTChampions SEOUL! pic.twitter.com/yJP3p0XHem

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 14, 2024

EDward Gaming, after defeating Trace Esports 2-0, joined Sentinels in the next stage of the VALORANT event.

EDG’s victory was powered by standout performances from Wang “nobody” Senxu, Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao, and Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang, with each player securing over 30 kills across the two maps.

EDG’s dominance on Bind and Sunset, including ZmjjKK’s ace on Sunset, led to comfortable halftime leads of 10-2 on both maps.

Despite a spirited comeback attempt from Trace Esports on both maps, EDG closed out Bind 13-7 and Sunset 13-10.

EDG’s standout performances included nobody’s 1.60 rating and 206 ADR on Bind and ZmjjKK’s 28-kill showing on Sunset.

Now, EDward Gaming and Sentinels will face off in the upper semifinals on August 17.

EDG, aiming to break past the top six for the first time in their history, will be looking to overcome Sentinels, who are on a three-match win streak, including victories over both of Korea’s representatives, Gen.G and DRX.

Thursday’s VALORANT Champions fixtures

• G2 Esports (-138.89) vs Leviatan (+100) @ 5pm KST
• Team Heretics (-151.52) vs Fnatic (+110) @ 8pm KST

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Sentinels enter the VALORANT Champions 2024 playoffs with a huge target on their back after the North American squad eliminated the tournament favourites, Gen.G, on Saturday. Like Sentinels, DRX also exceeded expectations by beating KRU Esports and Fnatic in Group A.

VALORANT betting sites have priced Sentinels as favourites for this series. That may be down to their humiliation of Gen.G, who DRX have not beaten once since VCT Pacific 2024 Stage 1.

However, while Sentinels performed well in the previous round, it was more Gen.G not playing as well as they should have. Moreover, DRX are better on Abyss and Sunset and usually do well on Sentinels’ best maps. So, unless we see a complete blunder from one of the two sides, this has the potential to be a close affair.

EDward Gaming and Trace Esports both shocked the world by reaching the VALORANT Champions 2024 playoffs. Yet the spotlight is on VCT China’s fourth seed, who were prime candidates to crash out of the group stage but instead placed first with wins against Leviatan and Team Vitality.

Like Trace, EDward Gaming made a massive splash by beating FUT Esports and Paper Rex. And according to the latest betting odds, they should win this series without major issues.

Wang “nobody” Senxu and his crew are 3-0 in the head-to-head with Trace Esports, which plays into the odds on this match. Still, the underdogs have shown immense improvement over the last couple of weeks, so it is hard to justify fading them at the offered price.

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UPSETS ARE IN THEIR DNA

TRACE ESPORTS TAKES DOWN LEV TO ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS. #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/zGYHoZpFGX

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 7, 2024

Trace picked Bind and ran a double sentinel composition with Deadlock, while Leviat��n used a Gekko variation with Viper, Skye, Raze, and Brimstone.

Starting on attack, Trace won the first pistol round, but Leviat��n prevented spike plants, leading to a 7-5 half-time score in favour of Trace.

A classic 3K from Li “Kai” Zhinan confirmed Trace’s second pistol round win, making it difficult for Leviat��n to plant the spike.

Despite Leviat��n’s late comeback attempt, a fumbled post-plant and a clutch defuse from Zhang “LuoK1ng” Zhanpeng secured the map for Trace.

Leviat��n needed to win on their map pick (Sunset) to stay alive, and despite Trace’s strong start with a 5-1 lead, Leviat��n adapted quickly, ending the half up 7-5.

Leviat��n’s aggressive push into spawn on the second half pistol round didn’t work, but Erick “aspas” Santos’ Neon and a clutch from Ian “tex” Botsch helped them close out the map.

For the decider map (Ascent), Leviat��n opted for a double sentinel composition with Deadlock and Cypher, while Trace went with a Killjoy.

Leviat��n won the first pistol round but immediately lost the anti-eco.

Kai, playing on Jett, used the operator effectively, pulling Trace ahead to a 10-2 lead at the half.

Despite Leviat��n winning the second pistol round, Kai’s operator sealed the map and series for Trace.

Leviat��n will now face the winner of Talon Esports vs. Team Vitality for their final chance to qualify for the playoff stage.

G2 Esports defeated EDward Gaming 2-1 (8-13, 13-11 13-11) to advance to the playoffs at the season-ending VALORANT event.

They will now wait for the group stage to finish, with knockouts beginning next week.

This victory guarantees one team from each VALORANT Champions Tour region in the playoffs, with DRX representing Pacific, Team Heretics from EMEA, and Trace Esports redeeming China.

WHAT A PERFORMANCE

G2 IS PLAYOFFS BOUND AT #VALORANTChampions SEOUL! #G2WIN pic.twitter.com/U1JGBLCmTZ

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 7, 2024

G2’s map pick of Icebox began with EDG taking an early lead.

G2 showed resilience in rounds 7 and 8 but couldn’t maintain momentum.

EDG adapted quickly, with Hsieh “S1Mon” Meng-hsun’s quadruple kill anchoring the map win for EDG.

EDG started strong on Haven with a pistol win, but G2 dominated the early half.

EDG stabilised with Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang’s Neon plays, ending the half tied at 6-6.

G2 regained their lead post-break, but EDG responded with a five-round streak.

A clutch from Trent “trent” Cairns and back-to-back triple kills from G2 secured the map win to tie the series.

G2 remained dominant on Bind, starting with a pistol round win on the third and deciding map.

Despite EDG’s efforts, including a well-timed timeout and key plays from S1Mon and Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao, G2’s coordinated defence ended the map and clinched the series.

EDward Gaming will next play on August 11 in the group D decider match for their second chance at playoffs, determining the final team to reach the top eight.

Check out ESB’s free preview and best bets for Thursday’s VALORANT Champions fixtures.

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This triumph came after FunPlus Phoenix and Bilibili Gaming fell to Team Heretics and FNATIC, respectively, marking a significant achievement for Trace Esports in their international VALORANT debut in Seoul, South Korea.

UPSET ALERT: Trace Esports take down Team Vitality on their international debut! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/XClL1744Md

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 3, 2024

Trace Esports picked Ascent, a map on which they remained undefeated throughout the year.

They started strong, with Lu “Kai” Zhinan consistently finding openings in Vitality’s defence, leading to a 6-1 advantage.

Although Vitality managed to win some rounds, their gameplay remained scrappy.

Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel’s clutch in round eight marked a temporary recovery, but Trace kept Vitality��s economy on the brink, ending the half with a 9-3 lead.

In the second half, Vitality attempted a comeback, winning the round 11 eco and salvaging five rounds.

Despite losing the second pistol round to a Song “FengF” Xuefeng clutch, Vitality forced overtime by winning six of the final seven rounds.

However, Trace regained their momentum in overtime, securing a 15-13 victory.

Vitality chose Sunset, a map both teams were familiar with.

Trace initially looked to pull ahead, but an eco win in round five allowed Vitality to stabilise.

Their strong defence towards the B site and Nikita “trexx” Cherednichenko��s dominant performance (24-8) led to an 8-4 advantage at the half.

Vitality continued their momentum into the second half, winning 13-7.

Both teams had questionable records on Bind, each with a 33% win rate.

Trace��s unconventional composition, including both Cypher and Deadlock, aimed to capitalise on early-round pressure.

Despite Vitality’s initial 5-1 lead, Trace pulled back to a 6-6 half.

On attack, Trace��s quick executions and sentinel holds overwhelmed Vitality, resulting in a dominant 13-7 victory.

Zhang “LuoK1ng” Zhanpeng was a standout performer across all three maps, with 64 kills and 44 deaths.

Leviat��n kicks off their #VALORANTChampions run with a clean series win! pic.twitter.com/WE6RbxPfue

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 3, 2024

Leviat��n, the reigning VCT Americas champions, relied on heroic plays to secure a 13-11 win on Bind.

Notably, Corbin “C0M” Daniel Lee��s triple kill in round 22 turned the tide.

Talon��s Peter “Governor” No impressed on Neon, leading his team with a 20-17 performance, but Leviat��n��s resilience prevailed.

Talon��s unconventional ��Zombie Comp�� failed to secure a win.

Despite Papaphat “Primmie” Sriprapha��s strong showing with 22 kills, Leviat��n��s Erick “aspas” Santos led his team with operator kills, resulting in a 13-8 victory.

Leviat��n will face Trace Esports on August 7, while Talon Esports will play Team Vitality on August 9.

Sunday’s VALORANT Champions matches

• G2 Esports (-111.11) vs Paper Rex (-125) @ 5pm KST
• EDward Gaming (+110) vs FUT Esports (-151.52) @ 8pm KST

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Leviatan are the third-favourites to win VALORANT Champions 2024, behind Fnatic and Gen.G. This comes after they dominated VCT 2024 Americas Stage 2, where they took the title without losing a single series.

Talon Esports qualified for the VALORANT world championship by finishing VCT 2024 Pacific Stage 2 in fourth place. This is not too impressive, considering Talon were significantly weaker than the league��s top teams: DRX, Paper Rex, and Gen.G Esports.

Group C is very top-heavy, and even though past international VALORANT esports events have produced some upsets, it is doubtful that an experienced roster like Leviatan will slip against Talon Esports.

After crashing out of VCT 2024 EMEA Stage 1 in 9th-10th place, Team Vitality went through a resurgence in the second half of the VALORANT Champions Tour season. They placed second in Stage 2, with their only defeats coming against Fnatic — including one in the grand final.

Team Vitality are expected to do well in South Korea, especially due to their ability to punish lesser squads and those with weak map pools. That should benefit them as Vitality take on Trace Esports, who only seem to do well on Haven (61% win rate) and Ascent (65%).

Unfortunately for the Chinese side, Vitality also have a win rate of better than 60% on Ascent along with a solid 54% on Haven — all while playing much stronger teams than Trace Esports encountered in VCT China. Barring any surprises, this should not be a close series.

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