Valorant VCT LOCK//IN 2023 playoffs – What to Expect

Valorant’s first esports event of the year kicked off on 13th February in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with 32 teams participating from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. The single-elimination tournament was divided into two brackets: Alpha and Omega, from which only four teams would compete in the playoffs for a prize pool of $500,000 and earn an additional slot for their region in VCT Masters: Tokyo.

The bracket stages are complete, and the 3-day playoffs begin from 2nd March. From the Alpha bracket, the ex-champions and Brazil’s pride LOUD managed to secure a spot in playoffs. The second team that qualified from this bracket is South Korea’s DRX, one of the very few pacific teams that put up an excellent performance and eliminated Cloud9, who were the favorites to win the event.

While the EMEA teams could not match the level of other regions in the Alpha bracket, FNATIC and Natus Vincere earned their region two spots in the playoffs from the Omega bracket. FNATIC defeated two of the most popular North American Teams: Sentinels and 100 Thieves, in a quick 2-0 series, thrashing the hopes of NA fans to watch their teams in playoffs.

Our Favorites for VCT LOCK//IN Playoffs:

All the teams in the playoffs look very strong and have showcased some of the best individual skills, new strategies, and team play. You can’t count out any team, and they definitely have the capability to turn every situation in their favor. However, we have some favorites who we think would come out victorious. Here are our predictions for VCT LOCK//IN Playoffs:

LOUD vs. DRX: Predictions

If we talk about the first match of playoffs, LOUD has an advantage against DRX. This is not the first time LOUD and DRX will face each other, but the stakes are much higher now. The first time they competed was in Valorant Champions 2022, where LOUD beat DRX 2-0 and went on to win the whole tournament.

However, there were quite a few roster changes after the franchised teams were announced for 2023, and two of the LOUD players (Sacy and pANcada) joined Sentinels. But, with the same core of Saadhak, Less, and Aspas and the addition of Tuyz and Cauanzin, LOUD dominated the Alpha Bracket and proved they are still the best in the Americas.
DRX, on the other hand, has made no roster changes coming into franchising. In 2022, they managed to secure the third position in Champions, but they did have some flaws in their tactics. If we talk about 2023, the team looks solid, with great performances from MaKo and BuZz in the bracket stage.

Nonetheless, we believe that LOUD has a slight edge over its opponent in this series. And the fact that they are playing on their home ground, they will feel confident when thousands of spectators are cheering for them in the arena.

FNATIC vs. Natus Vincere: Predictions

The second match in the playoffs is the battle between the two EMEA giants, FNATIC and NAVI. Talking about NAVI, they acquired the core of Funplus Phoenix after they got franchised and paired them with the Turkish superstar cNed, making them the team with the most firepower on paper.

For FNATIC, the last couple of years were hard, as they did not win any international tournament despite being one of the strongest teams in their region. But, with the addition of Leo and Chronicle, they look better than ever. And, after beating strong teams like Sentinels, Furia, and 100 Thieves without losing a single map, they will be very confident moving into the playoffs.

We’d pick NAVI to come out victorious for our predictions, as their strategies, executions, and synergy look better than any other team we’ve seen in the tournament. Still, it’ll be a very close and exciting match to watch, as both teams have the potential to outplay their opponents.