The playoffs stage of VALORANT Champions has finally concluded on day 1. On the first day, LOUD defeated Fnatic and surprises everyone. In the second match, Pacific powerhouse, Paper Rex sealed victory over FUT. Here is a full-day recap and highlights of VALORANT Champions playoffs day 1.
VALORANT Champions 2023 Playoffs Day 1: LOUD and Paper Rex started with wins
Relive the best moments from the first day of Playoffs. #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/l7qvUYBjJs
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 16, 2023
LOUD surprises Fnatic
No doubt, both teams are top-notch when it comes to pass records and fragging power. Still, fans were heavily inclined in favor of Fnatic from the start. However, LOUD unleashed their old form and made the statement of why they are reigning champions.
In the first map of Ascent, both teams ended the first half at an equal 6-6 score. Things started to crumble for Fnatic from the second half itself. In the second half, things became hard to handle for Fnatic as they were not able to penetrate LOUD’s defenses. Finally, LOUD secured the map of Ascent with a close 13-11 score and took an early 1-0 lead in the best of three series.
Moving to the second map of Lotus, LOUD started even more dominantly with 5 rounds in a row. The first half ended with an 8-4 score in LOUD’s favor. In the second half, Fnatic gave a glimpse of a comeback by winning the pistol and the follow-up round. However, LOUD was quick to counterattack and pushed Fnatic onto the back seat. Ultimately, the map was also secured by LOUD with a 13-6 score.
Paper Rex shuts FUT
In the second match of the day between Paper Rex and FUT Esports, PRX emerged victorious with a comfortable 2-0 score. Like the previous match, this one also started with Ascent, and FUT secured the first half with an 8-4 score. However, the tables turned as the momentum shifted in the second half, with Paper Rex dominating and ultimately securing the map with a 13-10 score.
Having taken the one-map lead, we moved to the second map, Pearl. This map turned out to be a nightmare for FUT as they found themselves trailing 0-10 at one point. The first half ended with a 12-1 score in favor of Paper Rex, which was then converted into a 13-4 victory. With this win, PRX secured the match against LOUD in the further bracket.
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