After being forced to miss VCT Masters Reykjavik due to travel bans, the FunPlus Phoenix VALORANT roster are looking for redemption after qualifying for Masters Copenhagen following their win today over M3C, earning a spot in their second straight international event.
Ascent was as close as a map as you could ask for, with neither side being able to run away with a lead bigger than two rounds through the first and second half. Tied 11-11, FPX claimed the final two rounds with rock-solid defenses of both the B and A sites. Despite narrowly even stats across the board, and even though FPX lost more opening duels than they won, they still escaped their map pick of Ascent with a 13-11 win.
Breeze was more of the same, with the two sides trading rounds back and forth during the first half. FPX were able to manage a small lead after their attacking side, with sygetsyu answering the call in numerous post-plant scenarios, notching 17 first-half kills to support a 7-5 lead. M3C responded by winning their first pistol round of the series and snowballed that into a momentous attacking side. Chronicle and Redgar led the way with 51 combined kills in a 13-9 win on Breeze.
After two straight maps of close first halves, FPX came out firing on Fracture. Four of the five FPX players had double-digit kills in the first half, stopping the M3C attack in its tracks over and over, leading to a huge 10-2 lead at halftime. A gorgeous 4K from Zyppan in the second-half pistol round increased the FPX lead even more, but M3C stayed alive with a vital anti-eco win. M3C’s comeback didn’t last long, though, thanks to another Zyppan 4K to make it 12-4, and FPX closed out the series in the very next round.
FPX’s win today locks in the three teams that will represent EMEA at Master Copenhagen: FPX, Guild, and Fnatic. Fnatic are also looking for redemption for Reykjavík after being forced to compete without either derke or BraveAF, leading to a group stage elimination. Guild will be making their international VALORANT debut in Copenhagen.
All three teams are still in contention for the No. 1 seed out of EMEA, and if Copenhagen is using the same format as Reykjavík, the team that secures that top seed could bypass the group stage at Masters.
