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VCT Champions Istanbul will close its curtains with today's grand finals, instating one team as the ultimate winner. The final two contenders, LOUD and OpTiC Gaming, deserve every bit of their current position, having defeated several competitors in the previous stages.
The upcoming matchup will be a best-of-five series, like every final event under VCT has been. Each team will be allowed to choose two maps of their liking and ban one map. The last remaining map will be the decider, in case the teams level up their score.
OpTic Gaming vs. LOUD: Who will emerge victorious in the VCT Champions Istanbul Grand Finals?
Valorant Champions Istanbul was not only eventful for the participating teams but also for the fans who witnessed several nail-biting matchups and some of the most great plays of all time.
The ultimate year-end tournament will pick the torch-bearer of the prestigious conical trophy in a few hours. LOUD and OpTiC Gaming will undoubtedly be at their best in the final lap of VCT 2022.
Predicting the outcome of the matchup involving two top-performing teams on the circuit is complicated. The odds could favor any of them, but both teams are expected to showcase their hardest tries at winning the series. Whatever the result, it will be one of the most thrilling series in VCT 2022.
Predictions
LOUD is one of the new rosters that was formed right before the start of VCT 2022. Only Saadhak and Sacy have international experience, having participated in Valorant Champions 2021 as part of Team Vikings. Despite the same, the team outperformed most of their opponents to be in the final stage.
LOUD's opponent for the day, OpTiC Gaming, requires no introduction. Their presence on the circuit is powerful and well-known. The players were previously a part of Team Envy, which OpTiC acquired right before the start of VCT 2022. With fraggers like Yay and Victor and FNS, Crashies, and Marved on their backs, OpTiC's present form appears to be indestructible.
Regarding general predictions, OpTiC Gaming takes the cake over LOUD, owing to their consistency, international experience, and individual player performance.
Head-to-head comparison
LOUD and OpTiC Gaming have faced each other five times, of which the latter has emerged victorious in three of the matchups. This gives OpTiC Gaming a slight edge over LOUD.
Recent results
LOUD lost their second matchup in the group stage of Champions Istanbul against OpTiC Gaming. However, they have remained undefeated in the playoffs up until now.
OpTiC Gaming found themselves a straight entrance to the playoffs after winning two back-to-back matchups in the group stage. They even stayed strong against their opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals. However, they were defeated by LOUD in the upper finals, following which they had to emerge victorious against DRX to enter the grand finals.
The 'LOUD versus OptiC Gaming' score in the Champions 2022 stands at 1-1. Their recent performances are almost at par, but LOUD has astonished more fans with their unexpected triumphs.
Potential lineups
OpTic Gaming
- Pujan “FNS” Mehta (IGL)
- Jaccob “Yay” Whiteaker
- Victor “Victor” Wong
- Austin “Crashies” Roberts
- Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen
- Chet “Chet” Singh (Coach)
LOUD
- Erick “Aspas” Santos
- Felipe “Less” Basso
- Bryan “pANcada” Luna
- Matias “Saadhak” Delipetro (IGL)
- Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi
- Matheus “bzkA” Tarasconi (Coach)
Where to watch
Fans can watch the series above live on YouTube, Twitch, and valorantesports.com. The grand finals will also host a live audience at Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena. The series will start at 7:00 am PDT / 4:00 pm CEST / 7:30 pm IST. One can also choose to tune in to their favorite streamer's watch party.
