On August 23rd, four teams will face off at INSPIRE Arena: Leviatan vs. EDward Gaming and Sentinels vs. Team Heretics. Only one of them will be eliminated, finishing fourth at Valorant Champions 2024. While we’ve already covered the upper bracket final in another article, here we’ll analyze the match between Sentinels and Team Heretic and attempt to predict the winner of this intense showdown.
Head-to-Head Encounters
These teams have only met once before, as Team Heretics have rarely participated in international tournaments until this year, making this their first-ever appearance at the world championship. Despite this, they have already secured a fourth-place finish among the sixteen strongest teams in the world.
Head-to-head:
- Team Heretics vs. Sentinels 1:2 – Champions Tour 2024: Masters Madrid
The only match between these two teams ended in a narrow victory for Sentinels. It’s worth noting that Team Heretics were playing with a substitute and were close to winning, with the final map ending 11:13 against them.
Map Predictions for the Lower Bracket Final
Predicting the three maps for this match is challenging, as both teams are versatile and can adapt their playstyle to counter their opponents. However, we can confidently say that the popular map Ascent is unlikely to be seen. The most probable maps for this match are:
- Icebox
- Lotus
- Sunset
These are our predictions for the map picks and bans.
Team Heretics’ Form
Team Heretics are in impressive form, considering this world championship is their third international tournament of the season. They’ve shown solid performances despite player issues and having to use substitutes.
At Valorant Champions 2024, the team advanced through the group stage without a single loss, securing the top spot. However, they were defeated in the playoffs by the top contender Leviatan, pushing them into the lower bracket.
Recent Results:
| Date | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18 | Team Heretics | 2 - 1 | DRX |
| Aug 17 | Team Heretics | 0 - 2 | Leviatán |
| Aug 15 | Team Heretics | 2 - 0 | Fnatic |
| Aug 06 | Team Heretics | 2 - 1 | Gen.G Esports |
| Aug 01 | Team Heretics | 2 - 1 | FunPlus Phoenix |
Overall, Team Heretics are in excellent shape and have a strong chance not only to defeat Sentinels but also to reach the grand final of the tournament.
Sentinels’ Form
Despite winning the VALORANT Champions Tour 2024: Masters Madrid, Sentinels have had a rocky season, missing out on the second Masters and barely qualifying for this year’s world championship. However, judging by their recent matches, these challenges have only strengthened the team.
Recent Results:
| Date | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18 | Sentinels | 2 - 1 | Fnatic |
| Aug 17 | Sentinels | 1 - 2 | Edward Gaming |
| Aug 14 | Sentinels | 2 - 0 | DRX |
| Aug 10 | Sentinels | 2 - 0 | Gen.G Esports |
| Aug 08 | Sentinels | 2 - 0 | FunPlus Phoenix |
| Aug 01 | Sentinels | 0 - 2 | Gen.G Esports |
The American team started their Valorant Champions 2024 campaign with a loss to Gen.G Esports in the group stage but managed to exact revenge in the rematch, eliminating one of the tournament's favorites.
Match Prediction
Both teams are evenly matched, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Team Heretics appear more confident on the battlefield and have more experience this year. However, their players are young, and the pressure of performing in front of thousands of spectators could be overwhelming. For Sentinels, who have played under similar conditions and have more experienced players, this shouldn’t be an issue.
If Team Heretics can manage their emotions and handle the pressure, they stand a good chance of winning in a hard-fought 2:1 match. However, Sentinels also have the potential to secure victory, as both teams are equally strong. This is expected to be one of the most thrilling games of the tournament.
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