The opening match of Valorant Champions 2023 has concluded, where the Ukrainian organization NAVI secured their first victory in the tournament, defeating Team Liquid with a map score of 2:0 (Fracture 13:11, Bind 17:15).

NAVI was considered the weakest team in Group D, so Team Liquid was the favorite according to analysts' predictions, which you can read about in our article reviewing and forecasting other groups here.

What happened in the match?

The match began with NAVI's pick, the map Fracture, which turned out to be intense. Teams continuously took the initiative, and the electrifying gameplay from the "yellow-black" team's captain ANGE1 consistently amazed the audience. The map ended in favor of NAVI with a score of 13:11.

The second map, Team Liquid's choice, turned out to be even more tense than the first. Both teams displayed an equal level of gameplay and proceeded to extra rounds where they consistently exchanged rounds. Neither team could gain an advantage during their attack rounds. However, at a score of 16:15, NAVI regrouped and won the attack round, claiming their first victory in the tournament.

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What's next?

NAVI advances and will compete to move out of Group D, while Team Liquid falls to the lower bracket, where they will face the loser of the LOUD vs DRX match.

Valorant Champions 2023 takes place from August 6th to 26th in Los Angeles. The teams are competing for a prize pool of 2.25 million dollars and the title of the strongest team in the world. You can follow the championship's schedule and results via the link.