The excitement of VCT 2022 returns this week with the EMEA Stage 2 Challengers. Teams will appear on the server with their renewed rosters. Our highlight, Germany-based FOKUS will make their debut in the tournament.
Will Stage 2 see EMEA return to the top? pic.twitter.com/4gjrlfRAIm
— VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA (@valesports_emea) May 12, 2022
Let’s take a look at the matches to be played in the first week.
NATUS VINCERE vs BBL ESPORTS
VCT 2022 EMEA Stage 2 Challengers will kick off on May 13 with Na’Vi vs BBL Esports. Unlike other teams in the event, the Turkish representative made no changes to their roster. The team, which improved its performance towards the end of the previous Stage, aims to make a good start this time and make it to the playoffs at the end of the road.
Natus Vincere’s journey on Stage 1 was very similar to BBL. The team, which was out of the playoffs with 2 wins and 3 losses, managed to surprise its opponents with its explosive and fast game from time to time. However, they needed consistency in their performance to be better. Zeddy recently joined the roster and will play his first official match with his new team against BBL.
ACEND vs OG LDN UTD
The biggest disappointment of the last stage, Acend will be on the scene for the first time against OG LDN Utd with their renewed squad. After missing the Stage 1 Playoffs and Masters Reykjavík, the organization went for serious changes. First, they parted ways with BONECOLD and Kiles, who had been parts of the team for a long time. Afterward, the team was completed with the addition of vakk and MONSTEERR.
On the other hand, LDN UTD will start this season with a brand new collaboration. Merging with OG, one of the leading organizations in Europe, the team will now compete in EMEA under the name OG LDN Utd. Along with this merger, a roster change was also made. The Lithuanian player hype replaced Dreamas.
FNATIC vs FUNPLUS PHOENIX
Two of Stage 1’s best teams will face each other in the opening week. The most interesting team in this clash is Fnatic, who have recently changed their roster. Right after the unwanted VCT 2022 Masters Reykjavík run, the European giant announced that it parted ways with MAGNUM and BraveAF. Days before the start of the tournament, Fnatic revealed the transfer of Alfajer and Fearoth who was on loan in the team.
Winning the EMEA Stage 1 with excellent performance, FunPlus Phoenix was unable to participate in the Masters Reykjavík, the first international tournament of the year, after Russia invaded Ukraine. For the same reason, the team had to play with a stand-in from time to time during the season. Besides that, they did not make any changes for Stage 2 so, they had a very long time to prepare. Thus, FPX is the favorite of this match.
TEAM LIQUID vs BIG
After a bad season, BIG successfully secured their slot in EMEA in the VCT Promotion tournament. Right after, it was announced that the most experienced name on the roster, gob b, had parted ways. Although this move indicates that BIG has entered a new era, at the time of this writing, the organization’s fifth player is not clear yet.
Liquid participated in Masters Reykjavík instead of FPX, however, couldn’t perform well during the playoffs, despite getting out of the group stage. Liquid’s roster has been having a consistency problem since its establishment and the staff hasn’t been able to fix it yet. However, the organization kept the squad for the upcoming Stage 2. Without a surprise, Liquid will not have a hard time in this match.
GUILD ESPORTS vs M3 CHAMPIONS
Team Guild Esports was one of the hottest teams back in Stage 1. Having a long undefeated streak both in qualifiers and the league, the team was putting in wonderful showcases against powerful teams. However, the roster’s performance decreased through the end of the group stage and this downfall continued in the playoffs. Hence, they bid early farewell and missed the first global event in 2022.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine had a huge impact on the M3 Champions roster. Former Gambit Esports players were unable to play their matches at first and then started to compete under a new name. Although their comeback with this new name was quite good, they were not able to show the game they wanted in the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA playoffs. Still, that’s not enough to tell them they’re outdated. All the players on the team are incredibly talented and one of the best on the scene. That’s why they are the favorites in this match.
G2 ESPORTS vs FOKUS
The new face of the league will play its first match in the league against G2 Esports. Retaining its performance after winning the VRL Dach, the team defeated its rivals one by one in the EMEA Promotion tournament and qualified for the EMEA Stage 2. FOKUS’ lineup is truly talented and the organization has made no changes to this successful roster. They have the potential to shock G2 in their first game in the league.
After a bad start to VCT 2022 EMEA Stage 1, G2 Esports has made a comeback with mixwell’s return to the roster. Both in terms of team play and individual performances, the roster leveled up and eventuall,y the European powerhouse managed to qualify for the Masters Reykjavík. But the team wasn’t able to go far from here, regardless of starting the international tournament in the playoffs.
Also Read- VCT EMEA Stage 2 Groups Announced
