by OpTic Gaming has secured a spot in the 2022 Valorant Champions Tour Masters Reykjavik after defeating Japan-based ZETA DIVISION.
The NA team started their VCT Masters tour in the Group Stage after failing to win the Stage 1 Challengers Grand Final against The Guard. Although it was a close contest, they fell 3-2 and had to compete in the Masters group stage.
Not deterred by their loss, OpTic went into the group stage hot. Although they lost one of the three games they played, they finished second in the Group B standings.
They started their playoff run with a win over their NA counterpart, The Guard. With them being the last team standing in the competition, The Guard’s head coach Mathew Elmore called on fans to support OpTic.
Followed by a 2-1 victory against DRX from the Korea Challengers, they sealed their qualification to the Upper Bracket Finals.
Unfortunately, they faced an insurmountable challenge from Brazil-based LOUD. That loss relegated them to the Lower Bracket Finals.
Fortunately for OpTic, they were locked-in in the just-concluded Lower Bracket Final. It was a sweep for OpTic as they convincingly won Haven, Fracture, and Bind in the best-of-five series.
With the North American team in the Grand Final, they will have to overcome a familiar foe, one they failed to defeat in the past. LOUD has had a perfect run so far in the Masters, giving up only two maps, one against Team Liquid and the other against OpTic.
Stealing one map could be seen as a plus for the team heading into the Grand Final, as it is an indication that LOUD is not invincible.
Although the Brazilian team has bested them in the past, OpTic will fancy their chances of winning the series. The winner walks away with $200,000 out of the $675,000 prize pool and 750 circuit points.
Across several esports betting sites, LOUD is the heavy favorite with the online betting sites to win the 2022 Masters. They are currently enjoying a ten-game winning streak and look the stronger of the two teams.
After an eventful two weeks, the Grand Final will commence at noon, Eastern Standard Time. The winner will go home with a lot of cash, bragging rights, and will be steaming with confidence ahead of Challengers 2.
At this stage of the competition, it is not just a battle between teams. Esports lovers and teams from several leagues will rally behind their compatriots as OpTic and LOUD go head-to-head.
A win for OpTic would be a win for the entire North America. The same applies to the team representing Brazil.
