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The VCT 2023 Americas playoffs started on May 23, 2023, with six teams competing for the title. The top three teams in the bracket stage will also qualify for VCT 2023 Masters: Tokyo and VCT Champions 2023, set to be held in Los Angeles. The second upper-bracket semifinals feature a North American clash between Cloud 9 and Evil Geniuses.
Both teams will be looking to be in their best form to secure their spot at the two prestigious international tournaments while getting one step closer to the regional trophy.
Cloud 9 vs Evil Geniuses - Who will win the second Upper-Bracket Semifinals match of VCT 2023: EMEA League?
Predictions
Cloud 9 has looked like an unstoppable force ever since they replaced superstar player Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker and Anthony "vanity" Malaspina for rookies Dylan "runi" Cade and Jake "jakee" Anderson. The move was heavily scrutinized, and fans were equally confused.
Cloud 9 was predicted to be a bottom-of-the-barrel team. They have defied all expectations and now look like one of the two favorites, along with LOUD, to win VCT Americas 2023. This is thanks to incredible individual performances from Nathan "leaf" Orf and Erick "Xeppaa" Bach.
Their teamwork, anti-stratting, and exceptional skill during eco rounds have been key reasons for their unmatched success.
Evil Geniuses was another team that many people did not have high expectations from. After a lackluster start to their VCT Americas season, fans had written them off as a bottom-tier team. The permanent integration of Max "Demon1" Mazanov over Brendan "BcJ" Jensen into the main roster completely transformed this roster.
Demon1's ability to flex into different roles allowed EG to have various team comps and strategies. This enabled them to go toe-to-toe with tough opponents and pick up much-needed wins as well.
Demon1 caught the eyes of everyone yesterday after his incredible performance against NRG Esports, where he had a 73/44/8 KDA with a +29 K/D differential. The team also has a strong supporting core in Kelden "Boostio" Pupello and Alexander "jawgemo" Mor.
Cloud 9 is the favorite in this North American derby, but Evil Geniuses have shown that they are not a team to be taken lightly. If Demon1 can show up huge along with the rest of the team, Evil Geniuses have a real chance to make it to VCT 2023 Masters: Tokyo and VCT Champions 2023.
Head-to-head
Cloud 9 and Evil Geniuses met in the first week of the regular season. It was a closely contested series that saw Cloud 9 narrowly edge out on both maps to pick up a 2-0 victory.
Recent results
Cloud 9 is undefeated in their previous five games, with teams such as Sentinels and Furia unable to topple the North American giants. They only dropped a single map to KRÜ Esports in these five games.
Evil Geniuses has been on the upswing recently, with important wins over Sentinels and Leviatán in the group stages. They lost to NRG Esports in their final regular season game before taking revenge and shocking the Valorant world, defeating NRG in the upper-bracket quarterfinals matchup with a 2-1 scoreline.
Expected lineups
Cloud 9
- Nathan "leaf" Orf
- Erick "Xeppaa" Bach
- Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro
- Jake "jakee" Anderson
- Dylan "runi" Cade (IGL)
- Matthew "mCe" Elmore (Coach)
Evil Geniuses
- Kelden "Boostio" Pupello (IGL)
- Alexander "jawgemo" Mor
- Corbin "C0M" Lee
- Ethan "Ethan" Arnold
- Max "Demon1" Mazanov
- Christine "potter" Chi (Coach)
When and where to watch
Fans can watch the second Upper-Bracket Semifinals of the VCT 2023 Americas playoffs featuring Cloud 9 and Evil Geniuses on the official Valorant Americas Twitch and Youtube channels. The game will also be streamed in various regional languages, such as Portuguese and Spanish.
Cloud 9 will face off against Evil Geniuses on May 24, 2023, at 3:30 AM IST / 12:00 AM CEST / 3:00 PM PDT (May 23, 2023)
Results
Evil Geniuses once again shocked the world after dismantling Cloud 9 with a 2-0 scoreline. Cloud 9 was able to win just seven rounds in the entire series on Fracture and Bind. Jawgemo, Boostio, and Demon1 had fantastic performances.
With this win, Evil Geniuses has locked in a spot at VCT 2023 Masters: Tokyo and VCT Champions 2023, while Cloud 9 has been sent to the lower bracket to fight against Leviatan. This win also means that Demon1 cannot attend VCT 2023 Masters: Tokyo as he does not have a passport to travel overseas.
