Image Credit: Riot Games
Fnatic and Bilibili Gaming showed their dominance during the opening series of Group C.
It’s just the third day of VALORANT Champions 2023 and fans are already treated with never-before-seen gameplays. Fnatic and Bilibili Gaming finished a back-to-back sweep against ZETA Division and NRG.
While most fans expect Fnatics’ win against ZETA, Bilibili shocked the crowd with a huge upset against heavy fan-favorites NRG. The matchup against Bilibili and NRG was indeed the highlight for today’s opening matches.
Bilibili has never been seen on a global stage before. They stunned the VALORANT community with an impressive global debut as they knocked down America’s powerhouse team NRG.
NRG was a heavy fan-favorite coming into the series. The team was playing in their home ground and the Los Angeles crowd rooted for them. However, Bilibili was a dark horse that caused their early demise.
During the first game, NRG asserted their dominance immediately and chalked up five round wins in a row. Bilibili did not back down as they finally broke the streak and took significant rounds on their board.
The first half ended in favor of NRG with a 7-5 score. Bilibili did not let the deficit weigh them down as players stepped up and showed their A-game. An impressive ace from Liu "Knight" Yuxiang brought them closer to NRG.
NRG managed to push to double digits but they struggled to close the game. Bilibili finally caught up to them and win the two overtime rounds.
Bilibili built on the momentum and stomped NRG on their own map during the second game. They took NRG’s buy round after winning the pistol and scored 11-4.
NRG tried to turn the table around and punished Bilibili’s impatience to close the game. They clutched significant rounds and brought up their score. However, Bilibili’s sheer confidence to write the game under the name was too strong.
After a tactical push at mid, NRG was caught off guard and Bilibili took the win even with a gun disadvantage. It marked a 2-0 record for Bilibili’s global debut.
Fnatic and ZETA Division’s matchup played out as fans expected. After winning VCT Masters Tokyo, Fnatic is one of the teams that are likely to take the Champions 2023 title. The team lived up to their fans’ expectations during the opening match.
They controlled the game’s pace and ZETA had a hard time striking back. Fnatic’s playstyle gelled together seamlessly and punished every misplay from ZETA. The first game was a breeze as they ended it in a 13-5 fashion.
ZETA seemed to find their footing in the second game as they managed to tie up the score in the first half. However, Fnatic defense is a stronghold. The team took six round wins in the second half and sealed the game. The game perfectly ended with a nasty ace from Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev’s Jett.
VALORANT Champions 2023 group stage will run until August 14, 2023.
