International Guns: VCT EMEA Playoffs Lower Finals and Grand Finals Preview, Masters Tokyo representatives revealed.

Valorant

27 May

Foo Zen-Wen

The VCT EMEA Playoffs are nearing its completion, with only the Lower Finals and Grand Finals left. From the initial 6 teams, only three remain. With both Liquid and FUT clashing first, the winner of their series will face a rematch with a waiting Fnatic in the Grand Finals.

VCT EMEA Playoffs Schedule (LF and GF)

Lower Finals

Team Liquid vs FUT Esports [27th May | 1600 BST]

Grand Finals

Fnatic vs (Winner of LF) [28th May | 1600 BST]

VCT EMEA Playoffs Preview

The Lower Finals between Team Liquid and FUT Esports is set to be an exciting one. Liquid have not faced FUT in an official match since Week 1 of the VCT EMEA regular season. Both teams have evolved in massive ways since their beginning, and this will be a crucial meeting point to test both their evolutions.

In the Grand Finals, we have the indomitable Fnatic awaiting the victor of the other series. Fnatic qualified for Masters: Tokyo through a dominant win over FUT. In a series for the record books, Fnatic took it in three maps, but FUT only earned 3 points across the last two maps. Moreover, Fnatic just took down Liquid in a close albeit dominant series (scoreline wise). Despite the best efforts of Liquid to contest Fnatic, they fell just shy of the mark in terms of contesting Fnatic.

Whichever team comes out, they’ll have a score to settle with the current Kings of EMEA. They’ll have one more shot at the king, or EMEA will have crowned their first official monarch ahead of this year’s international events.

International Representatives

The conclusion of FUT vs Team Vitality and NA’VI vs Giants Gaming has also determined the EMEA representatives to VCT Masters: Tokyo. As previously reported, thanks to Fnatic’s victory at VCT LOCK//IN, the top four teams from EMEA earn qualification spots to VCT Masters: Tokyo.

The announcement by Riot Games earlier this year for the Road to Champions has also confirmed that unlike the other two major regions, EMEA will have an additional step to qualify for VCT Champions 2023. This is due to them fielding four teams at VCT Masters: Tokyo. Whichever team ends up winning VCT EMEA Playoffs, therefore, may have a huge advantage going into VCT Masters: Tokyo.

Higher seeding is incredibly important for these teams as Riot tournaments typically offer a bye for top seeds to later stages of the tournament, skipping crucial clashes early in the tournament that could potentially upset.

VCT Champions (EMEA)

VCT Masters (EMEA)

Fnatic
Team Liquid
FUT Esports
NA’VI

The VCT EMEA action continues today. You can follow the games on Twitch, and YouTube. Follow the VCT EMEA Instagram for captured moments as well. For more details on the format, schedule, and viewing details, read the VCT EMEA article on Strafe Esports.

Image credit: Hara Amorós / Riot Games / LVP / lag

Follow Strafe Esports for continued VCT EMEA coverage and current esports event updates.