The match of the lower bracket finals of the Chinese league, Valorant China Evolution Series Act 1: Variation, has just concluded. After five intense maps, Rare Atom defeated their opponents FunPlus Phoenix with a score of 3:2, earning their place in the grand finals of the tournament.

The teams kicked off on Lotus, but the clash could hardly be called a full-fledged game. Map holders FunPlus Phoenix decimated their opponents in the first half with a score of 11-1. The situation remained unchanged post-half switch, allowing the favorites to clinch the 2 necessary rounds. The match concluded with FunPlus Phoenix triumphing 13-1.

Next, the teams moved to Bind, where Rare Atom successfully leveraged their pick. The first half saw an evenly matched game with a slight edge to the map holders, resulting in a half-time score of 7-5. Although the second half began with two victorious rounds for FunPlus Phoenix, Rare Atom eventually turned the tides by taking five consecutive rounds, wrapping up the match 13-8 in their favor.

The third map was Split. Even though it was FunPlus Phoenix's choice, the dynamics mirrored the previous Bind map. The first half again concluded in favor of Rare Atom, 7-5, and post-half switch, they secured the required 6 rounds.

Ascent, the fourth map, was Rare Atom's choice. A fierce rivalry emerged with FunPlus Phoenix dominating, taking 9 rounds in the first half, conceding only 3. Post-half switch, while Rare Atom attempted a comeback, they couldn't bridge the significant gap. FunPlus Phoenix clinched the match 13-10.

Sunset proved to be the decisive map in the clash of these two titans. It ended rather disappointingly for FunPlus Phoenix. They managed to secure just two rounds in the first half, and the second half offered no reprieve. Rare Atom triumphed on this map with a score of 13:5, and thus, won the series.

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Following the match results, Rare Atom advances to the grand finals of the event, where they'll face EDward Gaming tomorrow for the championship title. In contrast, FunPlus Phoenix bows out of the tournament in third place, bagging $6,179 for the team and an invite to the next qualifier stage. A reminder: Valorant China Evolution Series Act 1: Variation runs from September 23 to October 1 in a LAN format in Shanghai at the League Arena. Eight Chinese teams are competing for a total prize pool of $38,178 and 4 spots in the next stage of the competition.