LOUD vs DRX - VCT LOCK//IN 2023: Predictions, where to watch, and more

VCT LOCK//IN is set to host its 13th day, pitting two top dogs - America's LOUD and Pacific's DRX - in a best-of-five semi-final series. The winner will be offered a slot in the grand final, scheduled for March 4, 2023, while the loser will be eliminated.

Featuring a single-elimination format, VCT LOCK//IN's cutthroat competition has forced all participating teams to give their best to avoid early elimination. The initial pool contained 32 teams divided into Group Alpha and Group Omega.

After a series of group stage matchups, four teams - two from each group - were seeded into the playoffs stage, which will begin today. LOUD and DRX are the Group Alpha winners, who surpassed multiple worthwhile opponents to earn slots in the final stage of LOCK//IN. Naturally, the upcoming series will be a nail-biting experience for fans.

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LOUD vs DRX: Who will win the upcoming semi-finals matchup in VCT LOCK//IN?

LOUD was crowned the world champion in Champions Istanbul 2022 only a few months ago. DRX, on the other hand, placed third in Champions Istanbul after losing to the runners-up OpTiC Gaming in the lower bracket final. As fans may know, predicting the outcome of a matchup between top performers is difficult, especially in VCT LOCK//IN's unpredictable environment.

Both teams are powerful and resilient, making it a neck-and-neck competition. However, a few factors can be considered to determine the odds of the game.

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Predictions

Since LOUD's win in Valorant Champions 2022, the roster has undergone a few changes owing to the new partnership program and the off-season roster mania.

Former LOUD players Sacy and Pancada, who played huge roles in LOUD's victory at Champions Istanbul, left to join North America's Sentinels. They were replaced with new but promising athletes, cauanzin and tuyz. However, the Champions-winning LOUD core, featuring aspas, saadhak, and less, remains on the team.

While the slightly shuffled roster has seemingly built enough chemistry, LOUD's impressive form may fall short in front of DRX's long-standing synergy.

DRX is one of the best, if not the best, Valorant teams in the Asia-Pacific scene and has dumbfounded multiple top-class rosters with their sheer discipline, synergy, and mechanical skills. From the looks of it, DRX has a possible upper hand over LOUD regarding team chemistry in the upcoming VCT LOCK//IN matchup.

That said, it's important to note that LOUD's new roster has been a dominant performer in the VCT LOCK//IN Group Alpha half and can grab the victory today. Furthermore, the lively Brazilian crowd will also cheer for their favorites in São Paulo.

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Head-to-head

LOUD and DRX have previously faced each other in the VCT Champions Istanbul 2022's upper-bracket semi-finals (playoffs). LOUD won the series with a score of 2-0, thus establishing an edge in the head-to-head aspect. However, it's important to note that LOUD no longer fields the same roster, making the head-to-head factor vague.

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Recent results

Head-to-head and recent results (Image via vlr.gg)

In VCT LOCK//IN's Alpha stage, LOUD defeated Gen.G, Karmine Korp, and NRG Esports to secure their place in the playoffs. Similarly, DRX defeated BBL Esports, Cloud9, and Talon Esports to earn their slot in today's semi-final matchup.

In terms of recent results, both teams overcame formidable opponents to reach the playoffs, thus establishing an equal stance in this aspect.

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Potential lineups

LOUD

• Erick "aspas" Santos
• Matias "saadhak" Delipetro (IGL)
• Arthur "tuyz" Vieira
• Felipe "Less" Basso
• Cauan "cauanzin" Pereira
• Daniel "fRoD" Montaner (Head Coach)

DRX

• Goo "Rb" Sang-Min
• Kim "stax" Gu-taek (IGL)
• Kim "Zest" Ki-seok
• Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul
• Kim "MaKo" Myeong-gwan
• Pyeon "termi" Seon-ho (Head Coach)

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Where to watch

Fans can watch the highly anticipated LOUD vs DRX semi-final matchup of VCT LOCK//IN 2023 on March 2, 2023, at 9:00 am PDT/7:00 pm CEST/10:30 pm IST. The match will be livestreamed on Valorant esports' YouTube and Twitch channels. In addition, fans can join their favorite streamer's watch parties to enjoy the game.