Another week, another recap of news you almost missed. Each week the crew bundles together news from across the world that didn't make it into a full article in one convenient place.
The Valorant world was ever-quiet this week as everyone tuned in to either play or watch the last Challengers qualifier of the year for most regions.
- Read More: News Almost Missed: July 16 weekly recap
Roster Changes
- Ahead of the CIS Challengers 2, Team Singularity Team Singularity Inactive Insider Artem Puzanov NLaaeR Ilya Koppalov B1SK Vitaliy Emelyanov Dimaoneshot Dmitriy Bandurka hvoya Aleksandr Eremin bid goodbye to Denis "Gray" Daniljuk. Former CrowСrowd CrowСrowd Inactive Cloud Kirill Nehozhin dreAms Adel Smirnov Duno Mikhail Fokin trial Panic Leonid Pozdnyakov Aleksandr "hvoya" Eremin is currently trying out as their new captain. The team is awaiting its opponents in the aforementioned event to try and finally clinch that win, as well the last place in the EMEA Challengers Playoffs. They'll have a tough bracket playing alongside the likes of Inactive and forZe forZe Inactive SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin Art1st Vyacheslav Lyadnov Coffee Nikita Antsypirovich , who are all just as hungry for the trophy.
- M4LIK M4LIK Inactive mercedespeek Dillan Thomas Mike Michael Mckenzie MAGiK Calvin Spaaij kingHaS Henry Simmons Leare Fletcher Brigden-Knight finally got signed. After several iterations of a previous roster, a new core bundled together in May caught the eyes of Vexed Gaming Vexed Gaming Inactive Luca Lukey petals Ben Colledge Lew Lewis Grant-Smith kingHaS Henry Simmons , a renowned British organization entering the Valorant scene for the first time. Their Stage 3: Challengers 2 participation ended in the second lower bracket round after losing to NIP.
- FTW Esports FTW Esports Inactive sww Diogo Lopes furyan Afonso de Sousa aztex Miguel Tavares Ptf0x João Coelho lost its star Duelist João "jannyXD" Daniel. While the player wasn't very known internationally, his team's second-place finish at Red Bull Campus Clutch caught the eyes of many, finishing the tournament with nearly 270 ACS.
- After nearly a year of playing together, Team Sampi Team Sampi Inactive Ayyzicle MACHYY1 Daniel Machalíček Hasaa Radim Haša Ambi Štěpán Beránek Pjotr Petr Janiš Rias René Pitrun has disbanded and all players are now looking for a team to represent. The best Czech Valorant squad was a consistent presence in the final rounds of VCT qualifiers. Their latest outing saw them finish in the top 32 of the Challengers 2 qualifier, losing 2-0 to OG OG Inactive KONEQT Cista Adel uNKOE Benjamin Chevasson OniBy Theo Tarlier fxy0 Joey Schlosser LaAw Mathieu Plantin .
- Together since May, Cosmic Divide Cosmic Divide Inactive ChurmZ Corey Koch Tkaz Tyler Kazmierczak renz Austin Dickman tokyo Sebastien Lima syfi Samir Karimov have been signed by an upstarting organization in DIVIZE DIVIZE Inactive pwny Joshua VanGorder In0X Theodor Bjornsson ChurmZ Corey Koch jovahnii Jovanni Miramontes GMAN Gabriel Ordaz stand-in . Little is known about the organization. They placed top 32 in the NA Stage 3: Challengers 2 after losing to Built By Gamers Built By Gamers Inactive .
Results
- Anubis Gaming Anubis Gaming Inactive won Red Bull Campus Clutch and lifted the first international collegiate trophy this week. The team was forced into a reverse sweep after Project S Project S Inactive Bati Miguel Batista k1zpawn Ian Rebelo jannyXD João Daniel LionClaw Tiago Moreira silenttt Nuno Rodrigues started the final in a dominating fashion, and only allowed the Portuguese squad 13 rounds in the final three maps. They take home €20 000 EUR and spectator tickets to Masters 3 in Berlin, as long as COVID-19 allows a crowd.
- Shopify Rebellion GC Shopify Rebellion GC Inactive won the third Sakura Cup. After placing third in the first cup, they returned this week in full rampage mode, taking out Fatality Fatality Inactive leah Leah Heredia Kay Kaylen Ruddell Danii Danyale Murphy Kayleigh Kayleigh Gutierrez jen Jennifer Khamdaraphone , Gen.G Black Gen.G Black Inactive Kazler Calvrix IssaNina kasumu kazz Kassandra Shire heist rose , CLG Red CLG Red Inactive itnothan Han Nguyen emluo mle Emily Peters athxna Mirna Noureldin dodonut Karnthida Chaisrakeo and TSM X TSM X Inactive athxna Mirna Noureldin mle Emily Peters dodonut Karnthida Chaisrakeo bungee April Haight Ellie Elena Garland on their way to the $6000 USD prize.
- Unlike last week, this one didn't see as many surprising results in the European VCT qualifiers.
- OG's hopes of Berlin were crushed in the final open qualifier round. MTP Esport MTP Esport Inactive Kraît Florent Rivière Killu Vieillard Giovanni NRK Pedretti Charles LowaN Noel Lohan Vbbooy Cossey Cédric came back at them in the top 16 to make it into the closed qualifier and eliminated the European squad.
- Another NA qualifier, another fresh batch of upsets.
- NRG lost in the top 32 to Inactive 2-1, eliminating their chances at going to Berlin. They can still make Champions through the LCQ.
- In the top 16 we saw more unexpected results, such as TSM taking down Andbox. Although the latter has been on a hot streak, the former looks reinvigorated following the introduction of Aleko "LeviathanAG" Gabuniya.
- As we had advised, two upsetting results came out of Brazil. Inactive won against Team Vikings Team Vikings Inactive Veroneze Vinícius Ribeiro Ds Daniel Silva swag João Neto pollo Julio Silva 13-7 and NOORG2.0 NOORG2.0 Inactive matheuzin Matheus Lima ryotzz Leon Felipe tuyz Arthur Andrade kon4n Vitor Hugo lukzera Lucas Soares against FURIA FURIA Brazil Rank #4 heat Olavo Marcelo raafa Rafael Lima mwzera Leonardo Serrati havoc Ilan Eloy Khalil Khalil Schmidt 13-5. Vikings were then forced to eliminate FURIA and will still have to play the decider match.
- Japan's Challengers Finals lineup is complete with the four last qualified teams. FENNEL FENNEL Japan Rank #1 GON Kento Hara Aace Souta Itou Hals neth Yusuke Matsuda MrTenzouEz , REJECT REJECT Japan Rank #18 muto BNN take BRIAN IceBear , Feeling Feeling Inactive GangPin Chae Jung-moo (채정무) Art Misaya and Insomnia Insomnia Inactive Rheify were the top four placed teams in Challengers 2 and will fight for the two available slots to Berlin.
Matches to watch
- Korea's Stage 3: Challengers main group stage is already underway.
- We've already seen F4Q F4Q Inactive Hermes Ahn Byeong-wook (안병욱) Estrella Park Gun (박건) fiveK Yoo Sung-min (유성민) GOLD Geum Chang-wan (금창완) and TNL Esports TNL Esports Inactive TS Yu Tae-seok (유태석) exy Park Geun-cheol (박근철) Jinboong Kim Jin-won (김진원) Meteor Kim Tae-oh (김태오) reach the playoffs over DAMWON Gaming DAMWON Gaming Inactive Lakia Kim Jong-min (김종민) allow Park Sang-wook (박상욱) exy Park Geun-cheol (박근철) Estrella Park Gun (박건) Esperanza Jeong Jin-cheol (정진철) and GoNGo Prince GoNGo Prince Inactive Gunny Song Keon (송건) Wenty Yang Geon-mo (양건모) Eliza Kang Hee-won (강희원) Lawrence Yoon Hyun (윤현) .
- Vision Strikers Vision Strikers Inactive stax Kim Gu-taek (김구택) Rb Goo Sang-min (구상민) Zest Kim Ki-seok (김기석) BuZz Yu Byeong-cheol (유병철) MaKo Kim Myeong-gwan (김명관) and NUTURN NUTURN Inactive will still play the winner's match this coming July 25.
- World Game Star World Game Star Korea Rank #25 Wenty Yang Geon-mo (양건모) YUNSEUNG are a game away from elimination, having lost their opener to Unknown Unknown Inactive INTER LuZ Lim Ui-jun (임의준) .
- July 24 and 25, North American teams will fight for a place in the remaining Challengers event.
- There are only four matches left and they're all spicy: Ghost Gaming Ghost Gaming Inactive koalanoob Gianfranco Potestio NiSMO Marc-Andre Tayar aproto Alex Protopapas brawk Brock Somerhalder johnqt Mohamed Amine Ouarid vs. FaZe Clan FaZe Clan Inactive POISED Kevin Ngo mummAy Anthony DiPaolo TiGG Tanner Spanu BABYBAY Andrej Francisty supamen Phat Le ; DarkZero Esports DarkZero Esports Inactive vs. TSM TSM North America Rank #14 seven Johann Hernandez gMd Anthony Guimond sym Tyler Porter tdawgg Travis Regan XXiF Damion Cook ; T1 T1 Korea Rank #2 stax Kim Gu-taek (김구택) Meteor Kim Tae-oh (김태오) Sylvan Go Young-sup (고영섭) BuZz Yu Byeong-cheol (유병철) iZu Ham Woo-ju (함우주) vs. Built By Gamers and Cloud9 Cloud9 North America Rank #7 Xeppaa Erick Bach v1c Victor Truong mitch Mitch Semago OXY Francis Hoang vs. Luminosity Luminosity Inactive moose Kaleb Jayne mada Adam Pampuch dazzLe Will Loafman bdog Brandon Sanders TiGG Tanner Spanu .
- The decider match in Brazil will be played by Vikings, as mentioned, against either Inactive or NOORG2.0 NOORG2.0 Inactive matheuzin Matheus Lima ryotzz Leon Felipe tuyz Arthur Andrade kon4n Vitor Hugo lukzera Lucas Soares .
Other News
- The first VCT Game Changers Academy tournament organized by Galorants and Gen.G has been made official. There will be $2000 USD up for grabs between July 30 and August 1. The tournament is restricted to 16 North American women's teams that are ranked Platinum or higher. Sign up over at the Galorants Discord.