The main event of the year and simultaneously the most important tournament, Valorant Champions 2024, is nearing its conclusion. Out of the 16 participants, only 4 teams remain, fighting for the title of the strongest. Today, we will talk about the Upper Bracket Final, where representatives of Argentina, Leviatan, will face the last remaining Chinese team in the tournament, EDward Gaming, in a fierce battle for the first slot in the Grand Final.
Leviatan's form
The first member and my personal favorite is the Argentine club, Leviatan. The team unexpectedly didn't finish the group stage in first place, as they lost one match against the Chinese club Trace Esports with a score of 1-2. However, this did not prevent the team from advancing to the playoffs, where Aspas and co have not lost a single map in two matches so far.
In the first encounter in the Upper Bracket quarterfinals, Leviatan defeated G2 Esports with a score of 2-0. Although they faced difficulties on the first map, Icebox, and the match extended into overtime, the Argentinians managed to snatch victory with a score of 16-14 on Icebox. The second map was much easier, and the team closed out their opponents with a score of 13-5 on Abyss. In the second match, they faced a more serious opponent, Team Heretics, but even with Europe's favorites, Leviatan emerged victorious without dropping a map. After two maps, Icebox 15-13 and Lotus 13-10, the team advanced to the Upper Bracket Final.
Leviatan's best map statistics
- Pearl - 90% win rate over 10 matches
- Icebox - 76% win rate over 33 matches
- Sunset - 75% win rate over 12 matches
- Haven - 59% win rate over 41 matches
The team performs better on their maps when playing on the attacking side: Haven 57% win rate on attack versus 46% on defense, Icebox 58% on attack and 55% on defense, Sunset 60% on attack and 54% on defense, while on Pearl, the win rates are equal, with 59% on both sides.
EDward Gaming's form
The Chinese team is the last team from their region remaining in the tournament, as well as a sort of dark horse. Considering the team's limited experience in international competitions and last year's championship, few expected EDward Gaming to go this far. But the surprises began during the group stage, where the Chinese club, in an elimination match, defeated last year's World Championship finalists, Paper Rex, thus knocking them out of the tournament.
This allowed the Chinese team to advance to the playoffs, where they have been confidently competing against the strongest teams. In the first match, EDward Gaming defeated their regional counterparts, Trace Esports, with a score of 2-0, followed by a match against American top dogs, Sentinels. This match ended rather unexpectedly, as most viewers logically considered the latter to be the favorites. But the representatives of China surprised everyone again, and after three tough maps, Haven 9-13, Lotus 13-9, and Sunset 13-6, they defeated the favorites and sent them to the lower bracket. Thanks to this, the team advanced to the final, where they will face Leviatan tomorrow.
EDward Gaming's best map statistics
- Breeze - 74% win rate over 31 matches
- Sunset - 73% win rate over 26 matches
- Split - 71% win rate over 48 matches
- Bind - 70% win rate over 76 matches
The team performs better on their maps when playing on the defensive side: Sunset 58% win rate on defense versus 57% on attack, Split 59% on defense and 54% on attack, Bind 56% on defense and 55% on attack, while Breeze is the only map where the team performs better on the attacking side with a 59% win rate compared to 55% on defense.
Match Prediction
Although both teams have successfully navigated the upper bracket so far, the advantage in this match will likely be with Leviatan. The dark horse status for EDward is both a blessing and a curse, as it may be difficult to meet the high expectations from their fans. Additionally, Leviatan has more international tournament experience, and especially stands out with their star player and the world's best duelist, Aspas, who already secured a championship title in 2022. Therefore, they should not have issues with focus and nerves. Regardless of the outcome, the Chinese team has already surpassed other representatives from their region, but it is unlikely they will advance to the Grand Final through the upper bracket.
Match result - Leviatan Victory
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