VCT Champions Istanbul is getting closer and closer to an end. Let's see what happened in the Lower Bracket Round 2 matches yesterday and who is still in the game!
Yesterday we could have experienced another two exciting matches from which two teams had to say goodbye to the VCT Champions Istanbul tournament. Unfortunately, we won't see Fnatic & XSET in the tournament anymore, however DRX & FunPlus Phoenix are still in the game and will face each other in Lower Semifinals.
Down to the wire, all the way down. Check out the #VALORANTChampions DAY 13 results. pic.twitter.com/U9JPjodVcb
— VALORANT Champions Tour KR (@valesports_kr) September 13, 2022
- Is Tournament Mode coming to Valorant? Here's everything you need to know: Valorant Tournament Mode: Release Date, Features & More
DRX & FPX Win Their Lower Bracket Matches
The first match was Fnatic vs. DRX, two solid teams, and oh boy, they indeed showed it. Honestly, we were closer to betting on Fnatic, but this time, the APAC team took the so-called W.
DRX SECURES THEIR HIGHEST PLACEMENT EVER ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE #DRXWIN #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/rriIIiV7nB
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 13, 2022
SERIES POINT FOR @DRX_VS https://t.co/io2c23u0BL | #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/nw6P944ftS
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 13, 2022
This was the first match against Fnatic and DRX (previously Vision Strikers) since VCT Champions 2021 in Berlin. Just like last year, the match was super close; both matches ended with a 2:1 score. Let's see how it looked in total rounds won:
Team | Rounds Won (VCT Champions 2021) | Rounds Won (VCT Champions 2022) |
Fnatic | 36 | 34 |
DRX | 29 | 34 |
As you can see, both teams won the exact same number of rounds in the match – that's how close it was.
Then, we watched FunPlus Phoenix vs XSET that not only was a close one, but also involved some drama that forced a round replay. If you want to read more about it, we encourage you to check out this article: Controversial Bug Forces A Replay Between FPX & XSET at Valorant Champions
After a faulty KJ turret in the final round of XSET vs. FPX, it seems Valorant Champs has some breaking drama pic.twitter.com/CxLxKZZsOQ
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) September 13, 2022
It's not the first drama that XSET was involved in during this tournament, as there was also a situation with them calling out OpTic for abusing tactical breaks:
Still, all in all, it was the closest and probably the longest match in the entire tournament, with 40:37 in rounds for FPX.
Valorant Champions Istanbul: Lower Bracket Round 2 Results
| Match | Result | Maps |
| Fnatic vs DRX | 1:2 | Icebox (13:7), Ascent (12:14), Fracture (9:13) |
| FunPlus Phoenix vs XSET | 2:1 | Pearl (11:13) , Bind (13:10), Ascent (16:14) |
Valorant Champions Istanbul: Upper Final Matches
The VCT Champions Istanbul tournament will resume on Friday (16.09) with the following matches:
| Date | Match | Tournament Stage |
| 16.09, 04:00 PM CEST | LOUD vs OpTic Gaming | Upper Bracket Finals |
| 16.09, 07:00 PM CEST | FunPlus Phoenix vs DRX | Upper Bracket Finals |
Stay tuned to our website and social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) as we might have some exclusive VCT Champions content for you!
More Valorant content: