Day for the Underdogs: VCT EMEA LCQ Day 1 Recap

The EMEA LCQ has just begun and already there have been two upsets. Team Heretics and BBL have been eliminated from the 2023 circuit and will not be participating in Champions 2023. Their year has now ended, and we will only see them in VCT EMEA 2024. KOI and Karmine Corp have moved on and will now face NA’VI and Giants in the Upper Bracket Semifinals.

A Test of Wills (VCT EMEA LCQ)

Despite the ‘underdogs’ emerging victorious, securing victory was no easy feat. Both series went the distance and closed out only in the third map both times. Team Heretics vs KOI kicked off with a deadly Fracture. Despite Heretics heading into the second half with a 7-5 lead, it quickly vanished as KOI pulled off an incredible Attack side that only gave Heretics one more point before KOI closed out Fracture 13-8.

Heading into Pearl, the now infamous “mixwell” Yoru made another appearance as Heretics secured a point of their own, taking Pearl cleanly 13-10. With only one map to go, Heretics had all the momentum. An embattled KOI managed to take the pistol and secure the first four rounds. Heretics answered back but the defense side of KOI was too strong, and they ended the half 8-4. Disappointingly, Heretics was unable to mount any sort of comeback as they faltered in the second pistol, only winning two more rounds before being eliminated by KOI.

On the other side of the board, BBL took Karmine to the same map as well, showcasing new prowess on Haven as they pushed Karmine hard. The first two halves had the teams swapping dominant halves of 8 rounds apiece, pushing the series into overtime. Defense had been the crucial side on this map and BBL was the first to crack it in overtime, winning an important Attack side that secured their first win of the series.

Karmine then answered back with Lotus, a map that has swiftly become a signature of theirs. KC opening with 7 rounds on their defense, placing BBL in a tough spot heading into KC’s Attack side. As predicted KC pulled through with a clean attack side, securing their own series point with a 13-9 victory.

Bind was the final map of the night, and we were in for a special treat when “ScreaM” locked in the Raze. Karmine ended the half with 7 points once more but a well-executed attack half from BBL forced an incredible comeback (from 7-12) and overtime. Despite all that effort sadly, KC closed them out 14-12 once overtime began.

What can we see today?

Karmine Corp faces off against the deadly Giants Gaming. Having been humiliatingly eliminated early in Playoffs, Giants are looking for retribution. Karmine’s form looked much improved from earlier in the season, so it promises to be a tough matchup for Giants. While Giants are favored in this series, there are a lot of unknown factors, including (most importantly) whether Karmine’s form can be sustained.

KOI’s celebration of their victory over Heretics will be short-lived as they now face off against NA’VI. After their defeat at the hands of EDG at Tokyo and loss earlier in Playoffs, NA’VI has been placed squarely in the crosshairs of criticisms and questions as to whether they still have the form to continue dominating. Time to see who comes out on top.

The 2nd day of VCT EMEA LCQ will begin at 1600 BST July 20th. Catch all the games live on Twitch. Riot has also announced the tournament will be broadcasted in 14 different language. All streams will be available for access via valorantesports.com/live.

Later on, Strafe Esports will release a coverage of the pre-tournament press conference, so stay tuned. Follow all things Valorant esports related on Strafe Esports.

Credit: Hara Amorós / Riot Games / LVP / lag.