Brazil Group B will be out tomorrow!

Last week Brazil Group A

THIS WEEK NA THREADS
GROUP A
GROUP B

All feedback is appreciated as im trying to get hired to be a writer for vlr.gg!

TLDR: LOUD 1ST ROUND BYE, VIKINGS OUT, TBK PLAYS LIBERTY FOR PLAYOFF SPOT, LOSER HAS A CHANCE TO QUALIFY IF THEY ONLY LOSE BY 2 ROUNDS A MAP. IF NOT GAMELANDERS IN

Week four has come and gone in a hyper competitive brazil group A. We have seen a team seemingly come back from the dead, and a former region giant fall flat on their face. This upcoming week will feature a game that, depending on the result, may come under investigation for match fixing. Lets see every team's path to the playoffs.

Already Qualified:
This team is the favorite to make an appearance in Masters: Iceland.

LOUD:

LOUD, after a dominant start to the group stage, finally got to their bye. Currently sitting at 3-0, LOUD had already qualified for the playoffs last week, and, due to tiebreakers, a first round bye. Next week, LOUD will take on the 0-3, and eliminated, Vikings. Since LOUD has already locked up a number one seed, there is a chance that they choose to save their strats in their next game. This being said, if LOUD loses to Vikings next week, there is probably no cause for concern for this brazilian superteam.

Self Sufficient:
If these teams win, they will qualify for the playoffs.

TBK Esports:

Last week, TBK were sitting at 1-1 with no team really knowing what to make of them, they had beaten then 0-2 Gamelanders before losing to 3-0 LOUD. This week's game against Vikings, gave TBK a very important win that has set themselves up nicely to qualify for the playoffs. TBK won against Vikings very easily, 13-7, 13-3. To qualify for the playoffs, TBK needs to either win against Liberty, or lose by less than four rounds total, like a 11-13, 11-13. Despite having the head to head win record over Gamelanders, when TBK beat them in week 2, a loss against Liberty would set up a three way tie between TBK, Liberty, and Gamelanders. The three way tiebreaker is round differential, and a two way tie in round differential would go back to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Liberty:

Going into last week, Liberty sat at 1-1 with a win against the 0-3 Vikings and a loss against the 3-0 LOUD. This record still left the true skill of Liberty in doubt, as all we knew about them is that they weren't the best in their group and they weren't the worst either. Last week, Liberty took on Gamelanders, which a win would qualify Liberty and TBK, and eliminate Gamelanders from the playoff contention. While the match ended in a 0-2 loss for Liberty, the game was very much deserving of a map three. Gamelanders won in a nailbiter; 15-13, 13-11. To qualify for the playoffs, all Liberty needs to do to win is beat TBK, who also desperately needs the win. Although, there is a way for both Liberty and TBK to qualify, all that would need to happen is for Liberty to win by two on each map, or win in map three after closely winning an earlier map and getting destroyed on the other map. If this scenario were to happen, it could be seen as a little too convenient, and there might be calls from Gamelanders for VALORANT to look into a possible match fixing scandal.

NEEDS HELP:
This team needs one result to fall in their favor to qualify.

Gamelanders:

After a miserable start to the group stages, where Gamelanders quickly fell to 0-2, Gamelanders found their footing in week three, picking up a win against fellow winless team Vikings. This week, Gamelanders needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They played liberty in the closest two map series of the entire group stage, barely edging out their rivals 15-13, 13-11. This win marks the last game of the group stage that gamelanders will play, as they have a bye in the final week. Sitting at 2-2, all Gamelanders need to do to qualify is for either TBK to win against Liberty, or for TBK to lose by more than 5 rounds.

ELIMINATED:
Roster changes Likely.

Vikings:

This was certainly not the group stage that Vikings were hoping for, sitting at 0-2 last week, Vikings still had a glimmer of hope to qualify if they could win their last two matches. Unfortunately for Vikings, they played a TBK team that was on a mission, and promptly got stomped on by them, losing 7-13, 3-13. That loss marked the end of Vikings playoff hopes. Next week, things don’t look like they will get any better for Vikings as they have to take on 3-0 LOUD. Good luck with that.

Bump so EU people can see it

Sorry that I titled this Group A instead of Group B

The real Group A thread is out Here

LAST WEEK NA GROUP A THREAD

THIS WEEK NA GROUP B THREAD (and yes i accedentally titled it group a)

As always, I read all comments so feedback will be heard, and I greatly appreciate it.

TLDR: THE GUARD VS C9 FOR 1ST SEED. LUM VS XSET FOR 3RD SEED. 100T VS EG FOR A SINGLE WIN

After four weeks of intense games, impressive newcomers, and complete disappointments, Group A in NA has seemed to reach a state of clarity that cannot be said for Group B. With only one week of games left in the group, let's break down the playoff scenarios for all six teams.

Already Qualified (seeds 1/2)
These teams are some of the top contenders to make it to Masters: Iceland.

The Guard:

After three weeks, in which the guard has surprised almost everybody, including themselves, with the domination that they have put on display. This team has certainly made themselves a team to be feared, and respected. Week four saw the 3-0 Guard play the 0-3 Evil Geniuses, and the end result was anticipated, with The Guard winning 2-0. This result sets up The Guard with a clean 4-0 record. While boasting a dominant +42 round differential, it's no surprise that The Guard are seen as one of the three main contenders to make it to Iceland. While The Guard is already Qualified for the playoffs, they still have something to play for in the group stage. Next week, The Guard take on fellow 4-0 team Cloud9 in search of a win, and consequently, the number 1 seed.

Cloud9:

Cloud9 has had arguably the least surprising record out of any team in the group stage, other than Evil Geniuses sitting at 0-4. In contrast to the struggling Potter team, Cloud9 has carried over their momentum as NA LCQ winners into 2022. This week [Cloud9 played Luminosity](), and Cloud9 were able to win the first map in comfortable fashion,13-3, and scrape by with the second map 15-13 . This sets Cloud9 at 4-0, and gives them a chance to play The Guard next week for the number 1 seed in what has been the most anticipated matchup since week two.

Already Qualified (seeds 3/4)
These teams are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but only at the lower seeds.

XSET:

XSET came into the group stage and were expected to finish 3rd. So far, XSET have done just that. Going into their week four match, XSET were sitting at 1-2 and were facing a 100 Thieves team that had been underwhelming. 100 Thieves still had a path to the playoffs if they could get a win in this match against XSET. XSET and 100T both won their map picks fairly easily with XSET picking up Breeze 13-8 and dropping Fracture 9-13. The last map was Split, and was expected to be a very competitive map. That changed very quickly. After dropping the pistol and bonus round, XSET won every single round in the rest of the half, finishing up 10-2. This vast lead made it very easy for XSET to finish the map, and 100T’s playoff hopes after winning map 3 13-4. That win puts XSET at 2-2 and gives them a chance to get the 3rd seed in the Group A match vs Luminosity next week.

Luminosity:

After a 2021 season that ended in consecutive losses and an early departure in the NA LCQ, it must feel great for Luminosity to be back in the playoffs. Luminosity sat at 2-1 last week, with an upcoming match against Cloud9. Luminosity, unsurprisingly, lost 2-0. Luminosity showed promise though, only losing in double overtime on Bind. Despite not winning, Luminosity were able to guarantee themselves a playoff spot as both Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves lost. If Luminosity doesn't want to play the winner of V1 or Sentinels in the first round of the playoffs, they will need to beat XSET next week to get themselves the number three seed.

Eliminated:
These teams will probably be next seen in the newest Nerd Street Gamers Tournament competing against TSM.

100 Thieves:

Despite starting off at 0-3, 100 Thieves still had a legitimate chance to make it to the playoffs. All they needed to do was win their next two matches, which was certainly doable for a team that finished in the [semi finals in masters: Berlin](). Things started off well in their week 4 match against XSET for 100 Thieves, as they won map two and forced a map three. Strangely enough, 100 Thieves opted to pick split, where they have a 42% win rate, over Icebox, where they have a 69% win rate. This mistake proved fatal for the 100 Thieves squad in which they lost map 3 13-4. The loss vs XSET set 100 Thieves to 0-4 and officially eliminated them from playoffs contention. With map wins against both Luminosity and XSET, some may wonder if 100 Thieves had kept their roster from week 2, things might have played out differently for them. Next week, 100 Thieves have an ego match to not finish without a single win against fellow 0-4 team, Evil Geniuses.

Evil Geniuses

For a team that nobody expected to qualify to the group stage, Evil Geniuses definitely played like a team that was an outsider. Unlike 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses had no expectations upon entering the group stage, even getting this far was a massive win for the Potter led team. Entering their match 0-3, Evil Geniuses were unable to get a map, losing 0-2 against a better team in The Guard. It's safe to say that this roster has developed tremendously in this tournament, going from a team that lost 0-2 against XSET to a team that won a map against Cloud9. It's safe to say that we will be seeing this team making a deep run in the stage two open qualifiers, and can dominate in the T2 scene. Next week, Evil Geniuses have a golden opportunity to net their first win against a struggling 100 Thieves. Good luck to Potter and friends.

Watching Sentinels lower bracket run in the VCT stage 1 challengers 1 like a year ago

oldest thread that isnt locked, nice

good catch, I edited it to show that possibility. Thanks!

Also when I reference seeding I mean within the group. ie: 3rd seed means they finished 3rd in the group and would then play the 2nd seed in the opposing group in the first round of the playoffs.

Also Sentinels would finish second seed with a loss vs V1 and an OpTic loss vs Knights

-hiko +WeDid= W??

thanks i appreciate it

Felt like talking about group B first this week as more happened and its less clear cut. Thread on Group A will hopefully be out tomorrow. as always I appreciate your feedback!

In case you missed it, Last weeks Group B thread is here

I MEANT TO TITLE THIS GROUP B. THIS THREAD IS ABOUT NA GROUP B

TLDR: V1, SEN IN, WILL FIGHT FOR 1 SEED. KNIGHTS IN, WILL BE 3/4 SEED. OpTic IN WITH A WIN. RISE IN WITH A WIN+ OpTic L. NRG OUT

Week 4 has come and gone and we are starting to see some clarity in the group, officially eliminating one team, and qualifying three. That's not to say that the matches weren't unexpected or exciting, all three matches went the full three maps and certainly provided more entertainment than the Group A matches for a neutral viewer like myself. Four teams have their fate sealed, and two still hang in the playoff bubble balance. Let's break it down.

Already Qualified:
Nomatter next week's result, these teams will be in the playoffs. All they have to play for is seeding.

Version1:

After looking fairly weak in a 2-1 win vs NRG V1 looked like they had finally met their match against a seemingly better OpTic team after a 2-13 loss on ascent. After the first map, V1 looked like they were going to lose map two in similar fashion, quickly falling behind 1-5 on Haven. After that, V1 completely switched gears and went on an absolute tear. Led by penny and effys, V1 won 12 rounds in a row to put map 2 away 13-5. This win seemingly shattered OpTic Gaming’s confidence, as V1 were able to take map three in clean fashion, 13-5. This is the fourth win in a row for V1 and the first win against a team that was seen as a true contender for Masters at the start of the tournament. Sitting at 4-0, V1 has qualified for the playoffs and next week's match against Sentinels will decide the group winner and number 1 seed.

Sentinels:

After a loss against an on and off OpTic Gaming team, Sentinels bounced back with an important 2-1 win against Rise. After dropping the first map 13-9, Sentinels were able to win the next two 13-11 and 13-8. Despite a strong 3-1 record, Sentinels have yet to beat any team convincingly, as all four matches have gone to map three. Sentinels have been doing well, even if they dont look like the team that was known in 2021 for domination in the NA region, the team that won every regional final. Next week Sentinels get the chance to re-establish themselves as a true Masters contender when they take on the 4-0 Version1. With a win, Sentinels get the top seed going into the playoffs.

Knights:

After starting off 0-2, Knights have done all that they needed to do to make it into the playoffs. In week three, Knights beat Rise 2-0, which gave them control over Rise in the head-to-head tiebreaker. This past Sunday, Knights ended any fading hope that NRG had to make it to the playoffs themselves with a 2-1 win over NRG. This included a comfortable 13-6 on Breeze and a 13-5 on Haven. Next week, Knights take on fellow 2-2 team OpTic Gaming, who desperately need the win as Rise have the tiebreaker over them. If the Knights win, they will advance in the 3rd seed, if Knights lose to OpTic, they will advance in the fourth seed while simultaneously eliminating Rise from playoff contention.

Self Sufficient:
While these teams aren't in yet, all they need to be in the playoffs is a win.

OpTic Gaming:

Last week, OpTic seemingly establishing themselves as a true Masters contender last week with a 2-1 win over Sentinels. This week, With a 13-2 map one win over V1 and a 5-1 start on map two, it seemed that OpTic would be able to put V1 away and play for the number 2 seed next week. Unfortunately for OpTic, effys and the rest of V1 had other ideas, screaming back 12 rounds in a row to take map two 13-5 and dominating map three 13-5 to hand OpTic a very bitter L to hold. The week one loss to Rise has come back to bite OpTic in the butt, since Rise holds the tiebreaker over OpTic, that means that OpTic is not in the playoffs yet. All OpTic needs to do to qualify for the playoffs is either beat Knights, which would give them the third seed (and possible second seed with a sentinels loss vs V1), or hope Rise loses to NRG, which paired with an OpTic loss, would qualify OpTic in the fourth seed.

Needs Help:
To qualify, this team needs a win and other favorable results

Rise:

Rise only has one win, but it was the most important game for Rise to win. Their sole win over OpTic back in week one is the only reason that Rise is still in playoff contention. After losing 2-0 against Knights, Rise played significantly better against Sentinels, claiming map one 13-9 before dropping the next two in a 1-2 loss. Fortunately for Rise, their next opponent is 0-4 NRG, who shouldn’t be taken for granted, but if Rise plays as well as they did this week against Sentinels, they should be able to take down NRG. Unfortunately for Rise, a win against NRG is not all that they need to have happen to sneak into the playoffs. To qualify, Rise also needs OpTic to lose against Knights during the last match of group B.

Eliminated:
See you in stage 2 qualifiers!

NRG:

The first VCT main event NRG has been a part of since April of 2021 is one that NRG will want to forget. Going into week four, NRG still had a chance sitting at 0-3 to make it to the playoffs with an easier schedule infront of them, playing their last two games against Knights and Rise. NRG still had believers to qualify, myself included. Unfortunately for NRG, they came up short, losing 1-2 against Knights. That loss officially eliminates NRG from playoff contention. NRG will have to wait until stage 2 to get a chance at Masters. Next week, NRG still has the chance to play spoiler in their match against Rise, where a win over Rise would eliminate Rise from playoff contention and send off NRG with their only win. No matter the result next week, the current roster doesn't seem to be enough to get NRG over the hurdle, and roster changes might be imminent. The main target for replacement currently seems to be tex, and not without fair reason. In the 11 maps NRG has played in this event, tex has not gone positive in KD a single time. While kills aren't everything, they are certainly an important factor, especially on the three maps where tex played as a secondary dualist.

the prophet

shooterer from pakistan constantly is topfragging and put team exploit on his back the whole tournament, needs to be signed by a decent indian/sea org

the frenzy kill was wild

Mkers is pretty good in R6 and DSYRE is pretty good and an italian org (no italian players tho)

My Brazil Group B thread is out now!

Cant wait to see Akrew play agian gonna be some really good T2 games

BRAZIL GROUP A Thanks for reading, I will not be covering the EMEA group stages until another week has been played for every team in the bracket, as it is too difficult to determine how teams are doing after two matches, which I learned while writing about INGAMING. I will have the next NA article up after the sunday matches! NA GROUP A ll NA GROUP B

TLDR: FURIA, NIP NEEDS ONE WIN. INGAMING, VIVO KEYD DONT NEED HELP BUT NEED TO WIN OUT. SHARKS SUCK LMFAO

After three weeks of stiff competition, which leaves three of the six invited teams currently in the 4 elimination positions in the group stage, and both of last year’s Masters: Iceland teams winless. One of those Masters: Iceland teams is the only team that is guaranteed to not make it to the playoffs from the EMEA, NA, or Brazil group stages. Let's break down the path (almost) every team has to the playoffs.

Almost there:
These teams only need one win to qualify.

FURIA:
After a very strong 2021 season that led to a champions berth through the SA LCQ, FURIA looks to continue that success into the new year. While FURIA didn't make as many roster changes as other teams in the region, the one change they made has seemed to work in FURIA’s favor. FURIA picked up ableJ as their KAY-O/Sage player. This roster has looked extremely strong, picking up wins against newly formed Ninjas in Pyjamas and INGAMING. All FURIA needs to do to qualify for the playoffs is pick up a win against a sharks team that is a shell of its former self, or fellow champions team, Vivo Keyd.

Ninjas in Pyjamas:
Although NIP has been vastly overshadowed as a new brazilian team by LOUD, they still very much deserve praise for the early successes they've had. After never being able to find their footing in EMEA, NIP chose to drop their European roster and try it out in Brazil, and this move has definitely paid off. After a very competitive game that ended in a 1-2 loss vs FURIA, NIP has done what they needed to, beating Sharks 2-0 and upsetting former champions squad Vivo Keyd 2-1. It's clear that this new team has what it takes to make it to the playoffs, and all they need to qualify is a win in week 5 vs a hard-to-place 1-1 INGAMING team.

Self Sufficient:
These teams don't need any outside help to qualify.

INGAMING Esports:
After a weak 2021 season, in which INGAMING only made one challengers finals tournament, INGAMING committed to a complete roster rebuild. That move has put them at 1-1 after two matches, a 0-2 loss against FURIA and a 2-0 win against Sharks. Losing to the best team in the group and beating the worst one makes it difficult to figure out how good INGAMING truly is, but they will have a chance to determine that for themselves, when they play fellow one loss teams in the following weeks. They play 1-1 Vivo Keyd next, followed by 2-1 NIP, if they win both, they are in the playoffs without needing any assistance.

Vivo Keyd:
After a dream finish to the 2021 season, which capped off with a masters 3 and Champions appearance, Vivo Keyd currently looks unlikely to make it back to LAN. After a 2-1 win against Sharks, Vivo Keyd lost to NIP 1-2. Sitting at 1-1 with a dominant FURIA that shows no signs of slowing down is not where Vivo Keyd wants to be, especially with INGAMING breathing down their neck. Vivo Keyd has a chance to put down INGAMING next week, and will then face FURIA in the most anticipated week 5 matchup. Win both, and Vivo Keyd will be playoff bound.

Eliminated:
It is a mathematical certainty this team will not be in the playoffs

Sharks:
After a solid 2021 season that included a berth at Masters: Iceland, Sharks, like many other teams in the region, replaced most of their players. This move was most likely the single worst move that Sharks have made as a team. Sharks were lucky enough to get invited to the group stage and showed up dead on arrival. In three matches, Sharks have only won one map. While many of their maps have been competitive, it never amounted to a win. Sitting at 0-3 with only one match left against 3-0 FURIA, even if Sharks were to win, have no mathematically possible route to qualify out of the group stage, so you won’t be seeing this team in the playoffs. With the way things are going, you probably wont see this current roster at any playoffs this year.

Ty 🥰

W

Dont worry, all 6 fans of the Sharks fans! Group B's Thread will be out tommorow. NA Group A Thread NA Group B Thread I will be doing EMEA after their next matches, so I can place the teams better and have some more guarantee of stability for the region's tournament. As always, feedback is very helpful to me!

TLDR: LOUD IN, LIBERTY AND TBK NEED TO WIN NEXT 2. GAMELANDERS AND VIKINGS NEED TO WIN REST OF MATCHES AND HOPE FOR POINT DIFFERENTIAL
After three weeks in a season marked with new contenders and large orgs coming to the region, this seems like the best chance for Brazil to make their deepest run in a LAN so far. For any team to go to LAN they need to get out of the group stage first. Luckily for the 12 total Vikings fans who haven't joined the LOUD bandwagon, there's still a chance for (almost) every team to make it to the playoffs.

Already Qualified:
This team will be in the playoffs, no-matter their next results.

LOUD:
Almost every Brazilian viewer knew this team would be a real contender to take the Brazil crown, but I don't think anyone thought LOUD would be this good, this soon. After storming through the open and closed qualifiers, LOUD’s momentum and dominance didn't end. In the first three weeks of group stages, LOUD has run through some of Brazil's best with a 2-0 win over Gamelanders, a 2-1 victory against a very strong Liberty and a 2-0 against TBK. After the bye, LOUD takes on a disappointing Vikings team that currently sits at 0-2. At this point, the goal of LOUD is clear: go to iceland. And this brazilian superteam seems to have all of the firepower necessary to do it.

Self Sufficient:
These teams don't need any outside help to qualify.

Havan Liberty:
After a strong 2021 season which led to a Masters 3: Berlin appearance, Liberty looks to get back to LAN after failing to reach it in the SA LCQ, and things haven't gone great. After looking like the team likely to win the group, Liberty netted a 2-0 win against Vikings, followed by a 1-2 loss against a dominant LOUD roster. While Liberty, and others, thought that LOUD wouldn't be as good as they are so quickly, they were proven wrong. Liberty currently sits at 1-1 and to qualify without assistance would need a pair of wins against Gamelanders and TBK, which is certainly doable for this strong team.

TBK Esports:
After picking up NOORG2.0 (previously paiN Gaming), a team that missed out on the SA LCQ by one spot, TBK is looking for a playoff spot to solidify them as a true T1 contender. After three weeks and two games, TBK finds themselves in a very similar spot that Liberty is currently in, beating a former top tier Brazilian team, in Gamelanders, then getting steamrolled by LOUD. All TBK needs to do to qualify without assistance is pick up a win versus Vikings, and then beat Liberty in what seems like the most important week 5 matchup, other than FURIA vs Viko Keyd.

NEEDS HELP:
Even if they win their last games, these teams aren’t guaranteed a playoff spot

Gamelanders Blue:
At the start of the 2021 season, Gamelanders looked to be one of the favorites to qualify for the first ever LAN in Iceland, finishing 2nd in Masters 1: Brazil. Since then, Gamelanders haven't reached anywhere near their original hopes or expectations, other than a semi finals placement in the SA LCQ, which wasn't enough to make it to Champions. Like many teams in the volatile Brazil region, Gamelanders replaced their entire roster, and unlike LOUD, this brand new roster has not paid out whatsoever for Gamelanders. After dropping their first two matches against LOUD and TBK, Gamelanders finally picked up their first win against Vikings, and are now sitting at 1-2. To make the playoffs, not only would Gamelanders need to win their final game against a Liberty team that just as and desperately needs this win, they would need to beat Liberty by enough to make up a 15 round point difference (+8 for Liberty and -7 for Gamelanders).

Team Vikings:
After a dominant 2021 season in which Vikings got the most circuit points in the region, leading to a Masters: Iceland berth where they finished 5-6th and earned a Champions appearance. Despite this success, Vikings replaced their entire roster, which has led to nothing but disaster for them. Vikings have started their qualifying campaign with losses against Liberty and Gamelanders, and sit at 0-2. To qualify for the playoffs, Vikings would need a win against TBK and a win against LOUD, which seems like an impossible task. If vikings were to win those games, they would then need Liberty to win both of their games, or make up a 19 point round differential.

Bronze 2 :(

I’ve already applied and I don’t want to clutter their forum, feel free to vouch for me though!

I think the close game vs V1 will help motivate them, they seem to be at their best when they are at their last chance

Group B is up right here

good idea, imma wait until the next week of qualifiers is played so its a little more clear on how the teams stand, very excited to talk about acend and gambit tho

243 hrs
astra
Akrew

Since people liked my group A thread, I thought I shoud do one for group B, this time with hyperlinks. Feel free to leave feedback as I want to be a writer for this site, which means getting better. Also, LMK what I should do next, Im thinking Brazil?

TLDR: V1 IN. OPTC+SEN NEED 1 WIN. RISE, KNIGHTS, NRG NEED 2 AND ROUND DIFFERENTIAL

After 3 Upset packed weeks for Group B, we seem to be left with more questions than answers. While Group A (minus 100 Thieves) has been pretty straight forward, the same cannot be said for Group B. From V1 Starting at 3-0 to Rise going 1-2 after beating OpTic Gaming, it's no surprise that every team can still make the playoffs.

Already Qualified:
Barring the heat death of the universe or nuclear fallout, this team will be in the playoffs.

Version1:
V1 has been arguably the most dominant team of the entire VCT stage. They haven’t dropped a single map in 8 matches, which included 2-0 wins against Rise and Knights. This streak ended after a 2-1 win against NRG. V1 has seemingly righted the ship after a disappointing VCT 2021 S3 and LCQ campaign. The addition of Zander has seemed to make all the difference. However, V1 still has to play the next best teams in the group, OpTic Gaming and Sentinels. These match results will help place just how good this elusive roster is.

Playoffs Likely:
These teams only need one win to qualify.

OpTic Gaming:
After what I can only think of as a warm up game for OpTic, (previously Envy) in which they fell 1-2 against Rise, OpTic has been nothing short of dominant in the past two weeks. They’ve got a 2-0 win vs NRG and pulled off the 2-1 thriller win against Sentinels, in what will probably be the best game in the group. All OpTic Gaming need to do to qualify is win either of their next two games against V1 or Knights.

Sentinels:
Sentinels have seemed to slip a little from their past dominance of the NA region, after two 2-1 wins against Knights and NRG, in which Sentinels looked more like the team that lost to KRU in champions than the team that won in Reykjavik. Sentinels then lost 1-2 against OpTic, which included a 13-2 loss on Bind. This, paired with the departure of their head coach, Rawkus, due to contract complications with FaZe, and Sentinels, for the first time, are in a position where a LAN berth dosent feel like a guarantee. Sentinels can start to remove those concerns with a playoff berth, which to achieve they will need a win against either an upset heavy Rise, or currently undefeated V1.

Self Sufficient:
These teams can qualify without needing other teams to lose.

Rise:
After a very good end to the 2021 VCT season, in which Rise were a single match from a champions berth, Rise started off their group stage with a bang, taking down OpTic in a 2-1 upset. Since that major win, they have seemed to take a step back, losing 2-0 against V1 and Knights. For Rise to qualify without help, they would need to beat an angry Sentinels team and a hungary NRG team as well as keep their point differential over the knights (-18 vs -22)

Knights:
After a 2021 season with no closed VCT qualifier appearances, Knights decided that changes were in order. They added ban from Luminosity, skuba from Pioneers and Gangsta from now disbanded Immortals. These changes have worked, and gave Knights their first closed qualifiers berth. Entering with low expectations, Knights have played better than expected. After an embarrassing loss against V1, and a promising 2-1 loss against Sentinels, the Knights got their first, and currently only win, a 2-0 against a disappointing Rise team. To qualify without any help, Knights would need to beat a desperate NRG team, and an OpTic team that is not looking to repeat the upset they suffered vs Rise.

NEEDS HELP:
Can technically qualify without assistance, but would really appreciate the help.

NRG:
NRG finished the VCT 2021 with an open qualifiers loss against Resonate, a team that many of you may not have even heard of. In the off season, NRG showed much more promise after getting 2nd place in the NSG summer championship and the Knights VALORAMPAGE. The addition of hazed from TSM has helped with this success. So far this Group Stage NRG has had easily the most difficult schedule, having to play Sentinels, OpTic, and Version1, in which NRG have accrued 2 maps and 0 matches. Despite sitting at 0-3, there is still hope for a promising NRG roster, with matches against 1-2 Knights and 1-2 Rise, as well as a very competitive round differential (-19 vs Rise -18 and Knights -22). All NRG needs to do is beat Knights and Rise by enough to make up the round difference, and they will be in the playoffs, and honestly, I think they will do it.

considering you have over 4000 posts im sure you'll figure it out

yeah nobodys out yet I made a post showing how everyone can qual out of group a and I plan on making a group B post on it in the next 2 days

I'm planning on starting it tomorrow, hopefully will be out by tuesday cause I have alot of homework during the week

"Life Imitates Art" -tsung tzu art of war probably

makes sense, thanks!

Just applied, seems really cool.

Good point, I added a note for that possibility.

feel free to leave feedback cause I want to get better and continue to do stuff like this if people are interested

TLDR: C9, Guard in Lum needs 1 win, XSET needs 2 wins, 100T needs 2 wins+ good round differential, EG needs to do alot but are technically still in

Used this sample for the writers application, thought others might find it interesting. (sorry I know its long)

After 3 action packed weeks of the north american VCT group stages with surprises, like The Guard going 3-0. As well as disappointments, including 100 Thieves starting off at 0-3, leading to the replacement of newly acquired ec1s and BabyJ. We still have 2 weeks of competition left, and good news Potter fans, there's still a path for every single team to make it to the playoffs.

Already Qualified:
No matter what happens, these teams will be in the Playoffs fighting for a Masters Berth.

The Guard:
The Guard has completely exploded onto the tier 1 NA valorant scene. After having doubts in their earlier non-VCT tournaments in October, the team has done a complete 180 in 2022. Picking up wins in dominant fashion in a 2-0 against Luminosity, a 2-1 against 100 Thieves, including a 13-0 on Ascent that was so dominant, it caused 100 Thieves to drop two of its newly acquired starting players, ec1s and BabyJ in controversial fashion. And this past weekend, a 2-1 win against XSET, in which The guard always seemed to be in control. The guard has won its 6 maps with an average scoreline of 13-6 and boasts the highest round differential of the group at +36. The guard still has a match against a struggling Evil Geniuses, and the marquee match of Group A against Cloud9.

Cloud9:
What's more to say about Cloud9 other than that they continue to absolutely dominate all of NA. They have carried over the momentum they had after winning the NA LCQ last October, which they followed up with a quarter-finals appearance in champions 2021. This qualifying campaign, Cloud9 has made light work of their opponents so far with a 2-0 win over a disappointing 100 Thieves, a 2-1 win over XSET and a 2-1 win over Evil Geniuses in which they won maps at an impressive 13-5 and 13-2. Having already qualified at 3-0, they currently sit at 2nd in the table behind The Guard due to round differential (+27 compared to +36). Next week Cloud9 plays 2-1 Luminosity, then takes on their main rival in group A, The Guard.

Self Sufficient:
These teams can qualify without needing other teams to lose.

Luminosity:
After being one of the last two teams to qualify to the group stages, expectations for Luminosity were low. A 2-0 loss, which included a 13-1 against a then unproven The Guard didn’t help. Since that loss, which in hindsight, was completely reasonable, Luminosity has won the most important games that they will play in the group stages. They acquired a pair of 2-1 wins against Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves, which both went into overtime in map 3. Since both 100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses are currently sitting at 0-3, all Luminosity need to do to qualify to make it to the playoffs is beat either Cloud9 or XSET, which is easier said than done. If Luminosity lose both matches, they would need both 100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses to lose one match each to qualify, which is likely.

XSET:
XSET, despite their record, are doing only slightly worse than expected this group stage. After a dominant 2-0 win against Evil Geniuses, XSET have dropped the last two matches in a 2-1 fashion against the two frontrunners of the group, Cloud9 and The Guard. Luckily for XSET, there are two teams that are currently doing worse than them, Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves, who the XSET play next week. All that XSET needs to do to qualify is win against 100 Thieves, eliminating them from the competition, and either beat Luminosity or hope Evil Geniuses lose one of their next two matches versus The Guard and 100 Thieves.

100 Thieves:
It is safe to say that the 2022 VCT season has been an absolute nightmare for 100 Thieves. After a semi-finals appearance in VCT S3: Masters Berlin, and finishing 3rd in the NA LCQ, things seemed to be looking great for 100 Thieves for 2022. Especially with 2 new high quality players, in ec1s and BabyJ. It seemed like there would be no problem for 100 Thieves to make it out of the group rounds, but after three straight losses, including a 2-0 against the team that eliminated them in the LCQ, Cloud9. Paired with a 13-0 humiliation against The Guard, 100 Thieves controversially dropped their new acquisitions and replaced them with Bang, who most recently played with BBG, and jcStani, who played for the Pioneers. While the new lineup showed promise, they ended up falling short against Luminosity in overtime on the third map. While initially writing this article, I had placed 100 Thieves in the NEEDS HELP tier, along with Evil Geniuses. But after looking more closely at their schedule, it is possible for 100 Thieves to qualify for groups all by themselves. All they have to do is win their next two games against XSET and Evil Geniuses by enough rounds to make up the round versus XSET which is -7 for XSET and -20 for 100 Thieves.
NOTE: if XSET were to go more than +13 in round differential vs Luminosity than 100Theives would need help in C9 beating Luminosity.

NEEDS HELP:
Winning out would not be enough for this team.

Evil Geniuses:
When looking at the open qualifiers stage 2, there were about 10 teams that I felt had a realistic chance of qualifying for the main event. Teams that ended up qualifying like Knights and Rise, and teams that ended up falling short, like Akrew, TSM and Soniqs. Nowhere on my list would you find Evil Geniuses. After finishing 25th-32nd losing 0-2 against bait academy in the first qualifier, Evil Geniuses went on a tear through the 2nd qualifier, and not only qualified, but were able to qualify through the winners bracket with a 2-1 win against Rise. But as the open qualifiers ended, so seemingly did Evil Geniuses winning ways, losing all three of their opening matches against XSET, Luminosity, and Cloud9. While there have been some glimmers of hope for Evil Geniuses, including a 13-8 map win over Cloud9 on Breeze, it unfortunately has not resulted in any match wins so far. To qualify for the playoffs, not only does Evil Geniuses have to win their next two games against The Guard and 100 Thieves, which is already improbable, they also have to hope that Luminosity loses to Cloud9 and make up a 28 round difference, -35 vs XSET’s -7. If Evil Geniuses want to qualify without relying on round differential, they need to win their next two matches, and have XSET lose both of their last matches against 100 Thieves and Luminosity. While DELUSIONAL_POTTER_FAN might think this is no problem for Evil Geniuses, I am a little more pessimistic.

GGs, good match. TSM wont beat LUM tho

they just go to group stage for VCT Challengers 2, so nothing

yoru butterfly knife is A tier minimum

they're signed with LOUD they just havent announced yet because pancada has COVID

I dont see NIP in the open qualifiers or the invites for closed for brazil? are they not competing?

so if i were to vpn to brazil would it work?