Valorant Champions 2024: Day 1 Opening Matches

The 2024 Valorant Champions Seoul started its intense round of competitions and two teams have already won their first matches. Home favorite Gen.G Esports made quick work of Sentinels while Team Heretics defeated FunPlus Phoenix. Gen.G Esports showed their dominance as they made quick work of Sentinels in straight games. Team Heretics’s match against FunPlus Phoenix went into overtime but the Europe-based club hung on to their lives to defeat the team from China.

Valorant Champions: Gen.G Esports vs Sentinels Map 1

Masters Shanghai champions Gen.G Esports only needed two games against Sentinels as they exacted revenge against the American team. On the first map of Haven, t3xtire carried the team on his back with 24 kills and 12 deaths while Sacy was the lone star for Sentinels with 19 kills and 15 deaths. Gen.G won the pistol rounds on the defender’s side until Sentinels found their rhythm, winning four rounds in a row. However, Gen.G successfully defended the sites to end the half at 7-5.

Now on the attacker’s side, Gen.G still won the pistol rounds as Sentinels lost the sites easily. At round 17, Gen. G was feeling the game already as t3xture managed to kill four players.  When Gen.G was at match point, Sentinels head coach Kaplan called for time and his players responded positively, winning two rounds in a row. However, Meteor of Gen.G managed to get four kills to tilt the match in their favor.

Valorant Champions: Gen.G Esports vs Sentinels Map 2

In the second map of Ascent, Keron took over the match and recorded 20 kills and 11 deaths with 11 assists. Again, on the side of Sentinels, Sacy was the lone bright spot with 15 kills and 12 deaths. Gen.G still has the momentum as they not only win the pistol rounds, behind Keron’s back-to-back four kills but the first four rounds on the attack side. At the half, Gen.G ended their attacking side, 8-4.

On the defensive side, Gen.G failed to defend the sites as Sentinels took the pistol rounds. Gen.G quickly bounced back and won the next three rounds behind Munchin and Meteor’s spectacular gun control. Tenz and Sacy tried to take control of the game and carry their team but Gen.G. never looked back as they closed the game, 13-7.

Valorant Champions: Team Heretics vs FunPlus Phoenix Match 1

The second match of the opening day was between Team Heretics and FunPlus Phoenix, which went into overtime. In the first map of Abyss, Team Heretics players RieNs and Wo0t dropped 53 kills as they held off FunPlus Phoenix player AAAAY’s 27 kills. Team Heretics started strong on the defender’s side, winning four of the first five rounds. However, FunPlus Phoenix quickly regrouped as they won the next seven rounds with ease.

Now on the attacking side, Team Heretics continued to push FunPlus Phoenix to their limits as they won the first three matches. FunPlus Phoenix tried to stop the momentum of Team Heretics behind AAAAY’s ace but the Europe-based squad proved to be powerful as it took the next five rounds to get themselves to match point, 12-9. Fortunately for FunPlus Phoenix, they managed to get the last three rounds to extend the match into overtime. However, Team Heretics successfully defused the spike in the first overtime round, before closing the match in the 26th round.

Valorant Champions: Team Heretics vs FunPlus Phoenix Match 2

In the second map of Bind, AAAAY had help from Autumn, Lysoar, and Life as they tied the series and extended it into a third and deciding map. On the side of Team Heretics, benjyfishy and RieNs took the mantle with a combined 42 kills. FunPlus Phoenix was off to a hot start as they finished the first half of the map defending the sites, 8-4.

In the second half of the match, FunPlus Phoenix won the pistol rounds before Team Heretics found themselves winning the next five rounds to get within distance, 9-10. However, FunPlus Phoenix wanted the match more as it showed in the last three rounds which they won.

Valorant Champions: Team Heretics vs FunPlus Phoenix Match 3

In the third and decider map of Lotus, both FunPlus Phoenix and Team Heretics showed that they wanted to win. At the defenders side, Team Heretics won the pistol rounds before FunPlus Phoenix quickly bounced back and take the next two. The two teams then exchanged two rounds each to end the first half in a tie, 6-6.

Now on the attacker side, Team Heretics lost the pistol round before winning the next two rounds. Unfortunately for them, FunPlus Phoenix had enough time to defuse the bomb in the next three rounds to lead the match, 10-8. However, Team Heretics quickly tied the match before the two teams exchanged rounds after rounds to extend the match into overtime. In the first overtime, Team Heretics successfully defused the bomb but FunPlus Phoenix quickly extended the match into another overtime. Unfortunately, Team Heretics won the last two rounds.