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VCT (Valorant Champions Tour) 2023 is about to kick off with perhaps its biggest event yet, LOCK//IN. The upcoming occasion will see all thirty franchised teams alongside two Chinese teams battling it out. Interestingly, the tournament will be conducted in a single-elimination format, meaning that one loss would mean the end of a team's journey at this event.
The thirty-two teams have been split into two groups, namely Group Alpha and Group Omega, where they'll have to fight it out to be one of the two teams who qualify for the Playoffs. The winner of LOCK//IN will receive a $100,000 cash prize and an additional slot for their region at Masters 2023, with the upcoming event commencing with Group Alpha.
Everything to know about Group Alpha in VCT LOCK//IN 2023, Sao Paulo
Overview
Group Alpha of VCT LOCK//IN features a healthy mix of some really strong teams and teams that haven't made a mark on VCT yet. In total, there are 16 teams in Group Alpha, which include NRG Esports, KOI, DetonatioN FocusMe, Giants Gaming, Gen.G, LOUD, FunPlus Phoenix, Karmine Corp, BBL Esports, DRX, Cloud9, Paper Rex, Team Heretics, Evil Geniuses, MIBR, and Talon Esports.
Almost immediately, a few teams stand out within this group, such as NRG and Cloud9, with the organizations creating stacked rosters during the franchising rostermania and having higher chances of making it to the Playoffs.
LOUD were the winners of Valorant Champions 2022 Istanbul and showed that Brazil certainly has what it takes to be a World Champion. Unfortunately, LOUD lost two of its top players, pANcada and Sacy, so it will be interesting to see how they perform with an updated roster.
In VCT 2022, a few Asian teams truly made a mark on the international scene. DRX and Paper Rex had some insane runs in certain international events, with both teams placed in the top 3 at those events. Furthermore, these are also teams that haven't changed their rosters at all, giving them a slight advantage over other teams at the competition.
Another talented Asian team in this group is Talon Esports, who delivered some incredible performances during VCT 2021. Now that the team has got their star Duelist, Patiphan, back, there's a good chance that they can replicate the same level of performance again.
From the EMEA region, Karmine Corp acquired the incredibly talented ScreaM and Nivera for their roster. This deadly sibling duo has been able to prove itself time and time again on the international stage, and with a brand new team composition, Karmine could likely mark its name in the VCT history books.
Finally, the remaining teams such as DetonatioN FocusMe, KOI, Giants Gaming, Gen.G, FunPlus Phoenix, BBL Esports, Team Heretics, Evil Geniuses and MIBR will be the underdogs of this group, all of whom certainly have the potential to surprise viewers and fans.
Top matches to look out for in VCT LOCK//IN 2023, Sao Paulo
As mentioned before, Group Alpha has a great mix of strong teams and teams that are yet to prove themselves. Hence, there are definitely a few matches that will be worth watching.
NRG Esports vs KOI will be the very first match of the event and also a fairly interesting one to watch. NRG have obtained the majority of the very successful OpTic Gaming core, alongside a few new additions, whereas KOI is filled with skilled players from all over the EMEA region.
NRG's FNS spoke about how the team functions and performs better when they have information about the other team, but considering that KOI hasn't played any matches before this event, it truly comes down to aim and some pre-planned as well as 'in the moment' strategies.
Cloud9 vs Paper Rex is another interesting match-up to look out for. Cloud9 is currently considered one of the top teams from the NA region, given how incredibly strong their roster looks. Paper Rex, on the other hand, have decided to stick with their old roster that saw decent results in the previous year. Both teams have a lot of hype behind them and this is certainly going to be an amazing match to witness.
Predictions
When and where to watch
Given below is the schedule for the upcoming matches in Group Alpha:
Monday, February 13
- KOI vs NRG Esports: 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST
- DetonatioN FocusMe vs Giants Gaming:12:00 pm PST/ 9:00 pm CET/ 1:30 am IST (next day)
- Gen.G vs LOUD: 3:00 pm PST/ 12:00 am CET (next day)/ 4:30 am IST (next day)
Tuesday, February 14
- FunPlus Phoenix vs Karmine Corp: 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST
- BBL Esports vs DRX: 12:00 pm PST/ 9:00 pm CET/ 1:30 am IST (next day)
- Cloud9 vs Paper Rex: 3:00 pm PST/ 12:00 am CET (next day)/ 4:30 am IST (next day)
Wednesday, February 15
- Team Heretics vs Evil Geniuses: 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST
- MIBR vs Talon Esports: 12:00 pm PST/ 9:00 pm CET/ 1:30 am IST (next day)
Friday, February 17
- Alpha Quarterfinals #1: 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST
- Alpha Quarterfinals #2: 12:00 pm PST/ 9:00 pm CET/ 1:30 am IST (next day)
Saturday, February 18
- Alpha Quarterfinals #3: 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST
- Alpha Quarterfinals #4: 12:00 pm PST/ 9:00 pm CET/ 1:30 am IST (next day)
Sunday, February 19
- Alpha Semifinals #1: 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST
- Alpha Semifinals #2: 12:00 pm PST/ 9:00 pm CET/ 1:30 am IST (next day)
Interested viewers can watch their favorite teams battle it out on VCT's official Twitch and YouTube channels. Additionally, VCT allows streamers to conduct watch parties on their channels, which is another option for fans to watch the upcoming matches.
