Welcome to EGamersWorld.
The titular VALORANT is heating up in Los Angeles. The cultural capital of North America is hosting the VALORANT World Championship - Champions 2023.
We are watching the group stage of the most important tournament on the VCT competition circuit. Ahead are the final 4 matches in each group.
We will talk about quartet C, where NRG and Bilibili Gaming will play their game for the play-offs. The format of the meeting is Bo3, and everything is clear with the reward: the winner - in the play-offs of the World Championship 2023, the loser - is eliminated from the tournament.
Let's find out who from the pair NRG/Bilibili Gaming will pass to the main stage, and who will have to prepare for the new season at home.
Let's go.
NRG form
Let's open the match analysis by analysing NRG's form. In this match the American club will play as favourites.
Bookmakers call NRG the only possible contender to win this match. The odds for this outcome are somewhere around 1.15.
NRG were one of the key contenders to get out of Group C at the Long Stage of the tournament and remain so at the end of the group stage. The defeat in the first match did not break the team, but seems to have toughened them up.
NRG began their rise to the top of the world VALORANT in 2022. It was a difficult year for the American club.
During the season 2022 the team took part in a lot of local tournaments and only sometimes entered the prizes. The main achievement was Top 4 at VCT 2022: North America Stage 2 Challengers.
In 2023, the performance increased. They started the year with an appearance at Brazil's LOCK//IN Sao Paulo, where they finished in the Top 8.
Next up was a surge on the home stage. In May they reached the finals of VCT 2023: Americas League, where Ledge and more experienced LOUD.
The last event before VALORANT Champions 2023 was VCT Masters 2023 Tokyo. At the first international event of the season NRG reached the top 4, but were defeated by Paper Rex.
- NRG lineup: s0m, FNS, crashies, Victor, ardiis, ethos .
The latest addition to the team is ethos. The 24 year old American joined NRG in March this year and has played with NRG in the American league and at Masters Tokyo.
The start of VALORANT Champions 2023 was a failure for NRG. The team lost their opening game against Bilibili Gaming, losing 0-2.
Next up was a match against ZETA Division. The Japanese club did not offer NRG something adequate, and they lost to NRG with the score 0-2. And on the second map there was a one-gate draw: 13-1 in favour of NRG.
NRG mappool
The most played maps of NRG are Haven and Pearl. Both maps have been played 10 times each, but the former has 80% wins, and the latter has 60.
Then there are Bind and Split, with 8 matches and 63% wins on each. Then there's Lotus (8 matches, 50% wins).
Going bad on Ascent. There's 7 matches there, but 43% wins.
Bilibili Gaming form
We continue the match breakdown with an analysis of Bilibili Gaming's form. In this match, the Chinese club plays the second number.
Bookmakers confirm the total backlog of BLG. The odds for their success are at around 5.
There is no faith in the Chinese at all. And not so long ago, at the Long Circuit Champions 2023, BLG beat NRG.
Before the Champions 2023, Bilibili Gaming played exclusively on the home stage. At the same time, often Ledgeali more status compatriots.
Playing on the professional scene began at the beginning of the year with an appearance at the FGC Valorant Invitational. Then Bilibili Gaming took the top 10, which is difficult to call a decent result.
In May 2023, Bilibili Gaming jumped into the top 2 of the FGC Valorant Invitational 2023: Act 2. Ledgeili EDward Gaming in the finals, and that's an indicator.
- BIlibili Gaming lineup: whzy, rin, Kai, Knight, Yosemite, LostMe, Biank .
We got to Champions 2023 thanks to VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: China Qualifier. There we met EDward Gaming again in the grand-final and lost again, but we made it to Champions 2023 and that's the main thing.
In the debut match on the international stage BLG met NRG, the top 4 Masters, for a second. However, the high score in Tokyo did not help NRG earn a win against BLG and the Chinese club celebrated a 2-0 victory.
Buoyed by the win over NRG, streaming at The International post-match preview, BLG travelled to play Fnatic and quickly received a cold shower. The European giants shut out their Chinese counterparts 2-0.
Bilibili Gaming Mapper
The most pickable players are Haven (17 games, 47% wins) and Lotus (15 matches, 67% wins).
Ascent (12 games, 67% wins) and Pearl (10 games, 60% wins) are also in the pool.
Among the weak peaks are Fracture (43% wins with 7 matches). Not playing Breeze.
History of head-to-head meetings BLG - NRG
The first and so far the only face-to-face clash between the teams took place at the opening match of the group stage of VALORANT Champions 2023. Then the victory was celebrated by BLG.
Predicted result of the match Bibibili Gaming - NRG
I wouldn't expect this match to repeat the history of the first round of VALORANT Champions 2023. Back then BLG took the game by surprise and took NRG by surprise. I'm sure the Americans have worked on their mistakes and will not let the situation repeat.
I think NRG will win, but I admit that BLG will impose the fight again.
Bottom line: NRG won with the score 2-1.
