VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2021 Masters Berlin finally has its three North American esports teams competing internationally. 100 Thieves, Team Envy, and Sentinels are taking the slots after this weekend’s VCT NA Challengers Playoffs.
These three teams fought fiercely last week to secure their tickets. Sentinels were a cut above the rest while Team Envy and 100 Thieves still offered great runs. XSET managed to reach the fourth place but fell short of participating in VCT Masters Berlin.
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Challengers Playoffs
Sentinels reached first place during the Challengers Playoffs, beating runner-up 100 Thieves twice during the tournament. Starting the Upper Bracket on Haven, Sentinels got into a rhythm and outscored 100 Thieves 11 to 1 before halftime. Three rounds after, they secured the map and moved on to Split. The score was tied at half-time, but Sentinels secured the 2-0 sweep with a 13 to 8 victory.
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It was tough for 100 Thieves, who fell down to the Lower Bracket Final. But Envy, who also fell to Sentinels prior, won against FaZe Clan (2-1) and XSET (2-0) to reach this stage. This game went on to the fifth and deciding map where 100 Thieves made the difference on Split (13-5). Multiple momentum changes happened throughout the match, especially on Icebox when Envy kept fighting back and taking rounds.
VCT Masters Berlin
100 Thieves and Team Envy both showed mental strength and resilience, but the First Strike champions got the chance to rematch Sentinels. Although they offered a slightly harder challenge, VCT Masters Reykjavík Champion Sentinels could rely on its experience and preparation with confidence.
Despite getting outscored after halftime, Sentinels won on Blind thanks to a solid 8-4 start. 100 Thieves then came back from a 5-7 deficit on Breeze to win the map 13 to 11. Tied after two rounds, Haven (13-6) and Split (13-5) made the difference for Sentinels. This was a cruel reminder for 100 Thieves as these exact same maps were also their downfall last time around.
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Sentinels, 100 Thieves, Team Envy, and XSET share $100 thousand from the NA Challengers Playoffs, with only the first three securing their slot to VALORANT Champions Tour 2021: Stage 3 Masters – Berlin. For now, only Acend, F4Q, Vision Strikers, ZETA DIVISION, and Crazy Raccoon are confirmed to attend outside of NA. From September 9 to 19, the 16 best VALORANT esports teams will find who the best in the world is at VCT Masters Berlin.
Written by Charles FUSTER
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