LOUD have defeated OpTic Gaming in the Valorant Champions 2022 Grand Final in Istanbul. Their 3 – 1 win over their bitter rivals has cemented their place in the Esports history books after being crowned the VCT World Champions for the 2022 season.
LOUD write themselves into the history books at Champions 2022
After dismantling Optic in the Upper Bracket final on September 16, LOUD looked the clear favorites in this grand finals matchup. And though OpTic bounced back in a big way against DRX in the Lower Bracket final, they were going to need to find an extra gear if they wanted to overcome their Brazilian opponents. It was a special occasion packed with a heap of hype; topped off with a live performance of the Champions 2022 anthem “Fire Again” by Ashnikko.
It was a grudge match in the truest sense of the phrase, as both teams went blow for blow across this best-of-five series. With two of the maps being decided deep into Overtime. It was a fantastic effort from OpTic, with their star man Jaccob “Yay” Whiteaker having a solid performance overall. But in the end it was the combined ferocity of LOUD’s roster that tipped the balance in their favor. Culminating in LOUD becoming the first Brazilian team to win a major tournament in Valorant. Capping off a fantastic end to a tournament that will live long in the memory of many Valorant Esports fans across the globe.
How did the Loud vs OpTic Gaming Champions 2022 Grand Final go down?
OpTic and Loud lock horns from the outset
OpTic got off to a great start to Ascent, with their mid-round flanks proving to be tough for LOUD to deal with. But despite their slow start, LOUD stood firm on their map pick to take Ascent 15 – 13 in Overtime; off the back of an insane clutch by “Sacy” in round 27.
The match headed to Bind for map 2, and it seemed like OpTic had got their groove back fairly quickly. And after a streak of clutches from the OpTic players, the Greenwall took a commanding 10 – 2 lead into halftime. LOUD came out swinging in the second half to quickly reduce OpTic’s lead to 10 – 6. With Erick “Aspas” Santos pulling off an insane 1 v 3 in round 16. But OpTic managed to hold their nerve, and eventually closed out Bind 13 – 6.
The tide turns in LOUD ‘s favor on Breeze
With the series tied up at 1-1 it seemed like OpTic had really sprung to life in this series. And although they were heading to LOUD’s second map pick in Breeze, it was still anybody’s game. OpTic got off to another good start, with Austin “Crashies” Roberts popping off with his Sova. But LOUD responded well to the early pressure to tie the map up at 6 – 6.
The start of the second half saw the momentum in the series shift in LOUD’s favor for a time. Yet it was for a brief moment as the map descended into a back and forth affair from round 17 – 24; with neither team managing to capitalize on their thrifty round situations. Things continued in a similar fashion as the teams went into Overtime, with both sides leaning heavily on their mid-round strats. Yet, it was LOUD who discovered the winning formula in the end, as Aspas went on a rampage to help his team close out Breeze 16 – 14.
LOUD taste glory on Haven
The situation had become truly dire for OpTic after their loss on Breeze. LOUD were 1 map away from claiming victory at Champions after coming out on top of yet another Overtime thriller. And, to top it all off, they were heading to Haven, a map which heavily favored LOUD.
LOUD got off to a blistering start on Haven, as they took the opening three rounds in flawless fashion. OpTic managed to trade a few rounds, but LOUD were in a class of their own on Haven, taking a 7 – 5 lead at halftime.
OpTic had done well to stay with LOUD for the majority of the match, but the two OT losses had taken a lot out of the NA side. With seemingly nothing going their way. And that proved to be enough as LOUD stormed past their bitter rivals to take Haven 13 – 5 and the series 3 – 1 to take the Champions 2022 crown in Istanbul and cement their place in Esports history.
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