One of the most highly-anticipated teams of VCT LOCK//IN finally took the stage this evening, going up against a brand-new roster amid a roaring home crowd.
2022 VCT champions and Brazilian favorites LOUD were set to face Gen.G, the once-North American team that moved to the Pacific league after franchising. Most analysts and fans were expecting this match to be a rough one for Gen.G, as they not only had to face the defending champions but they had to make things happen in front of a Brazilian crowd.
LOUD won the match 2-0, an outcome most people would have had on their brackets, but Gen.G surprised with how far they pushed the championship team. This exciting match even included the first overtime map of the 2023 VCT.
Pearl started off pretty much exactly how the roaring arena in São Paulo would have wanted it to. LOUD bulldozed straight through their opponents and netted four rounds on the board.
But Gen.G didn’t look fazed. Staying composed, the Korean team took eight rounds in a row unanswered from their Brazilian foes.
A big reason that Gen.G was able to make this huge push against the reigning world champions is because of k1Ng. On one of his signature agents, Viper, k1Ng played a huge part in keeping the team in this first map until the end.
Not only did k1Ng stroll through Pearl with a 21/14 KDA and 32 percent headshot hit ratio, he also excelled in his role as a support for the rest of his team. He enabled Meteor, Gen.G’s Jett player, to show why he was an anticipated player coming into LOCK//IN.
But despite Gen.G’s most valiant efforts, LOUD’s attack was unbeatable.
Young star cauanzin pulled to the top of the scoreboard and brought all of his teammates up with him.
LOUD continued to push an aggressive style and overcome even the defensive-sided nature of Pearl. Gen.G just continued to get pushed over and all of the rounds they had built up during their own attacking side slipped right through their fingers.
As a result, LOUD clutched up Pearl 13-9.
Fracture was another wild ride. Gen.G, feeling the possibility of taking a championship team to a third map, pushed LOUD to their limit.
LOUD’s attack side leaned in once again to their aggressive playstyle, and after the pistol round Gen.G had a hard time stopping them, especially on a map less defense-sided than Pearl. After Gen.G took the pistol and two following rounds, LOUD came in like a freight train.
Though Gen.G tried to get their footing back in the second half of the map with another effort led by k1Ng, LOUD didn’t give up and brought their veteran presence and experience to the stage.
Gen.G’s biggest accomplishment in this match was pushing LOUD all the way to overtime on Fracture, the first overtime we’ve seen so far at LOCK//IN. It likely wasn’t in many people’s predictions that this match would be the first to see a 25th round.
Unfortunately for Gen.G, this is where their miracle run ended. LOUD blazed their way through the overtime rounds easily, winning Fracture 14-12.
One of the best players from 2022, Aspas, took the crown as the fan-voted MVP for this match. Playing Jett through both maps, he excelled on the role that made him a star in the championship last year. The crowd in Brazil cheered louder than any other time this week as LOUD sent Gen.G home.
LOUD will now move on in the Alpha bracket to face Europe’s Karmine Corp, the team where brothers ScreaM and Nivera have found a new home. Their match will take place on Feb. 17 at 2pm CT.
