Riot have announced that the the LATAM/BR LCQ will not feature a live audience or KRÜ Esports KRÜ Esports Latin America South Rank #3 keznit Angelo Mori mta Nicolás González Shyy Fabian Usnayo due to COVID-19 exposure in one of the teams. KRÜ will compete remotely, while Ninjas In Pyjamas Ninjas In Pyjamas Inactive will play on-stage in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but without a live crowd.
For KRÜ, this is their first time competing in the LCQ for a spot on the international stage, as they have been Latin America's representatives since Stage 2 Masters: Reykjavik in 2021. In the recent Stage 2 LATAM playoffs, they were defeated by interregional rival LEVIATÁN LEVIATÁN Latin America South Rank #1 Demon1 Max Mazanov tex Ian Botsch kiNgg Francisco Aravena aspas Erick Santos C0M Corbin Lee , who bounced back from an early upper bracket loss to FUSION FUSION Latin America North Rank #8 prask Mike Cortbani Fresht Juan Pablo Preciado Winter Rei RAINMAKER Javier Cruz to dethrone KRÜ and punch their ticket to Masters: Copenhagen.
NIP, on the other hand, have had to run the LCQ gauntlet once before, in Stage 1. In the Stage 1 LATAM/BR LCQ, they faced off against Leviatán and won, bringing the Ninjas to the world stage for the first time in the program's history in Valorant. They achieved this feat after falling to a red-hot LOUD LOUD Brazil Rank #2 pANcada Bryan Luna saadhak Matias Delipetro tuyz Arthur Andrade cauanzin Cauan Pereira twice in the Stage 1 Challengers 1 playoffs. NIP now look to return to international competition with another win today.
The match to determine who will claim the 12th and final spot at Masters: Copenhagen in a little under two weeks kicks off later today, at 3:00 PM EDT.