Valorant team OpTic Gaming is one step closer to the championship as they beat DRX in the 2022 VCT Masters Reykjavík playoffs on Sunday.
OpTic Gaming proved to be the American team to beat in this series. The other North American team in the playoffs, The Guard, were eliminated after their defeat under Paper Rex last Saturday. OpTic now has secured their spot in the upper finals after beating DRX in an intense three-game match.
DRX Was Unstoppable on Ascent
The series started in Ascent, which proved to be tricky for OpTic, according to a report by Dot Esports. DRX won the pistol, as well as the second round. OpTic picked up the momentum in round three after team member FNS secured three kills. DRX proved to be resilient by winning the next three rounds which maintained their lead.
OpTic was able to defuse the DRX's spike in round 7, but that wasn't enough for DRX to dominate in the next rounds, winning 4 more rounds. The first half ended with a 9-3 scoreline.
DRX opened the second half by winning the second pistol round. OpTic, however, won five straight rounds which were enough for them to build the momentum they need to keep up. Marved was able to provide a clutch at round 18 after an intense one-vs-two encounter which kept his team alive. DRX however won the last round and secured the first map.
Read Also: 2022 LEC Spring Split Playoffs: G2 Beats Misfits as Veteran Caps Hits Career Milestones
It Was Anybody's Game at Icebox
DRX chose Icebox for the second map, but OpTic was not yet ready to yield, winning the first two rounds. The first half was an intense push-and-pull situation between the two, with either team winning only two rounds before being thwarted by the other. DRX's Mako secured three kills in round 5, so did OpTic's Victor in round 7.
In the second half, the ball was on DRX, winning the first two rounds and giving them the boost they need. They won six rounds more, giving them the lead. OpTic gave an outstanding performance in round 17, where they gave DRX a hard time in defusing the spike. DRX eventually failed to defuse it by a mere 00.04 seconds. DRX proceeded to win two more rounds, but OpTic stopped them from catching up and closed the map in round 24.
Split Was So Intense That Match Went Overtime
The final map was Split, and neither of the two teams was willing to go down without a proper fight. DRX won the first two rounds before OpTic stole their thunder and won three for themselves. DRX stopped OpTic from winning the next few rounds. It was an intense firefight for the rest of the first half. Despite having only 17 HP left, Marved still showed precision in his skills as he proceeded to secure three kills.
The teams were tied in the second half, but only for a moment as OpTic won the pistol round and the second round. OpTic's crashies aced round 14, eliminating every DRX player in his sight. DRX eventually caught up, leading to another tie. The series was forced into overtime.
DRX tried to secure site B, but OpTic stalled them. OpTic took site B and gained again the lead. The match ended as OpTic took site A leading the North American team to win the series.
OpTic is still in the running for the finals. They will either fight against G2 Esports or LOUD on Friday's upper finals, according to a separate report by Dot Esports. DRX still has the chance to redeem themselves in the second lower round with ZETA Division on Tuesday.
Related Article: OpTic Gaming Goes to Upper Bracket After Defeating The Guard in VCT Masters Reykjavík Playoffs
Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by Fred Layno
