DRX outlast NAVI in thriller to clinch Champions playoffs spot

DRX DRX Korea Rank #1 stax Kim Gu-taek (김구택) BuZz Yu Byung-chul (유병철) MaKo Kim Myeong-gwan (김명관) Foxy9 Jung Jae-sung (정재성) BeYN Kang Ha-bin (강하빈) took down Natus Vincere Natus Vincere Europe Rank #5 ANGE1 Kyrylo Karasov Shao Andrey Kiprsky Zyppan Pontus Eek SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin ardiis Ardis Svarenieks in thrilling 2-1 fashion to cap off day two of Valorant Champions 2023, securing their spot in the playoffs stage. NAVI will drop down to the Group D lower bracket to play the winner of Team Liquid Team Liquid Europe Rank #18 Jamppi Elias Olkkonen nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin Enzo Enzo Mestari Mistic James Orfila Keiko Georgio Sanassy and LOUD LOUD Brazil Rank #1 Quick Gabriel Lima saadhak Matias Delipetro Less Felipe de Loyola tuyz Arthur Andrade cauanzin Cauan Pereira .

Question marks surrounded both teams off their Masters Tokyo showings, which many viewed as disappointing for the rosters. The two rosters are well acquainted with one another as DRX was responsible for ending then- FunPlus Phoenix FunPlus Phoenix Inactive SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin Zyppan Pontus Eek ANGE1 Kyrylo Karasov Shao Andrey Kiprsky ardiis Ardis Svarenieks 's season at last year's Champions, defeating the Copenhagen winners in both the upper and lower bracket.

DRX haven't missed a international playoffs stage since Champions 2021. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

“They always talk about them being unlucky, but the track record shows who is the better team,” stax said in the post-match interview yesterday. “We won't let our guard down, but when we beat them tomorrow, we'll make sure we crush them once again.”

The opening map of Bind saw an interesting twist in agent selection for both squads. After a 17-15 victory over Team Liquid yesterday on the map, NAVI opted to switch cNed onto Sage after playing Neon previously. DRX put Rb onto a curious Yoru pick, with the team having never previously played the agent in an official match.

“The Yoru pick feels as if you are not playing with your team most of the time,” said Rb. “You can take more risks and play with more freedom, which I felt opened up the rest of our team to other opportunities.”

NAVI was the team that would be crushing early on, as vintage cNed put on a dazzling display with the operator en route to a 17-7 first half performance. A dominating defensive side gave NAVI a 8-4 lead at halftime, even despite losing the opening pistol.

After NAVI took the second half pistol and eco to gain a 10-4 advantage, it appeared that the EMEA squad would smoothly take home their map pick to open the series. DRX would have none of it, recovering a 10-10 stalemate off the back of opening duel wins and impenetrable site holds.

An incredible Shao 1v3 brought NAVI to map point before two round wins from DRX sent the teams to overtime. Shao again propelled NAVI ahead in overtime, Zest " target="_blank">sticking the defuse to block a 2v4 attempt from Zest and stax in the opening round. The theatrics were not enough to save NAVI from the DRX comeback, dropping the next three rounds to lose the map in 15-13 fashion.

DRX achieved an astonishing differential of +12 in first bloods on Bind, including a remarkable 13-1 disparity on their defensive side alone.

Split brought an opportunity for DRX to close out the series on their map pick, one where the Korean roster had dismantled LOUD in their matchup yesterday. DRX started off their attack side strongly, jumping out to a 5-2 lead after a flurry of save calls came in from NAVI in post plant situations.

Those saves enabled cNed to keep the Operator online to buoy his team back to a 6-6 scoreline, while also contributing his 14-4 statline. The double duelist composition from NAVI eventually found its mark, as the pace on the entry from Zyppan and cNed gave DRX constant trouble. NAVI converted seven of their 10 rounds on attack to secure their first map of the series 13-9.

Catapulted by cNed's masterful 27-9 performance, NAVI finished Split with a total kill differential of +25. Only one member of DRX ( BuZz - 169) finished with an ADR over 95 on the map.

Lotus would be the third and final map of the series, with the winner clinching their spot in the playoffs stage. NAVI continued their practice of fiddling with their agent composition, putting out another new variation around their Brimstone and Sova picks. DRX carried over their picks from their loss versus LOUD on the map yesterday, just their second time ever playing the map.

Rb was a savior for DRX in the back-and-forth opening half, pulling out multiple clutches and winning critical gunfights to keep the half salvageable for his team at 6-6. An economically crucial round 16 saw NAVI slam headfirst into a C site manned by four DRX members, being repelled by Rb and BuZz and forcing the EMEA squad to save their remaining two rifles.

Coming into the next round with a low buy while facing a 9-7 deficit, NAVI questionably invested three ultimates into the round before succumbing to the DRX retake. NAVI answered by holding two post-plants in quick succession, forcing DRX into an eco of their own.

MaKo responded with a crucial 2K to secure the eco win for DRX. After a few more rounds were traded back and forth, DRX led 12-10. NAVI answered with two straight rounds as the series was destined to be decided in overtime.

Zest answered the call, picking up three massive kills to ensure the first overtime round for DRX. NAVI went all in the would-be final round, but were brought to a screeching halt by MaKo and BuZz, finishing the series.

”These matches were absolutely tough,” stax said. “But when we go back and review them, we will find the mistakes that we can fix to make it easier.”