VALORANT pro’s VCT LOCK//IN bet pulls in big numbers for charity

VALORANT‘s 2023 VCT LOCK//IN tournament ended on March 4, crowning Fnatic champions following an extremely close final against LOUD. While Fnatic walked away with $100,000, charity also came up trumps thanks to a bet made by Karel “Twisten” Ašenbrener.

In a bet at the start of the tournament in February, Twisten promised to donate 25 euros to charity every time a player found a kill using the shotgun Shorty in VALORANT‘s LOCK//IN tournament.

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The Shorty is rarely used in tournaments as it’s highly situational due to its incredibly short range. It’s also the cheapest weapon available (150 credits), but players often decide to buy other sidearms instead.

An exceptionally high number of players used the weapon in LOCK//IN, however, and some charity will benefit massively from this decision.

Shorty kill count in LOCK//IN

It’s usually very rare to see Shorty being used in VALORANT matches, whether it’s on the ranked ladder or in tournaments. The sidearm only has an average kill count of 0.5 percent in competitive Radiant, according to ValorBuff’s statistics.

Still, it’s not the weapon with the least kills: The Odin, Bucky, and Ares are the least-popular ones, according to data.

The LOCK//IN tournament saw an unexpected evolution in Shorty usage, however. A total of 58 kills were found using the cheap weapon in the international tournament, according to Riot Games stats producer Uwais “spvce” Farooq.

The weapon was most efficiently used by DRX, as BuZz single-handedly racked up seven Shorty kills. The team had a long journey in the tournament, eventually losing to LOUD three-to-two in the semifinals.

This Shorty kill count in VCT LOCK//IN smashed the average number from previous international tournaments in VALORANT. The Shorty was used for 18 kills in VCT Masters 2 Copenhagen, and 22 in 2022 VCT Champions, according to Captaincow.

How much will Twisten donate to charity?

Since Twisten vowed to donate 25 euros per Shorty kill made in VCT LOCK//IN, it means he’s going to give a total of €1,450 ($1,545).

It’s unclear which charity he’ll choose to donate to, but it’s likely to be linked to mental health after he opened up on mental health struggles following Vitality‘s defeat in LOCK//IN.

“I want to give a lot of love for Twisten for single-handedly raising €1450 for charity and speaking up about his mental health,” Riot Games stats producer spvce wrote. “It’s incredibly brave to do such a thing in a community that can be toxic.”