KRU Esports pulled off the biggest comeback of the VCT 2023 season just in time to qualify for Valorant Champions 2023.
The South American squad won the VCT Americas Last Chance Qualifier after they took a 3-1 victory over Leviatán in the grand final.
Leading up to the LCQ, KRU failed to secure a single win in the VCT, which included a 0-2 defeat to Natus Vincere at VCT LOCK//IN, followed by nine consecutive losses in their VCT Americas League regular season run.
At LCQ, KRU successfully turned their season around, winning all five matches to secure their spot at Valorant Champions 2023.
The VCT Americas LCQ champions will go to Los Angeles, California, to compete in this year’s Valorant world championship, which is set to take place from August 6 to 26.
KRU Esports defies expectations and wins the VCT Americas LCQ
KRU, the team founded by Argentinian football star Sergio Agüero, navigated through the playoff bracket’s dreaded single-elimination stage with impressive victories. They first defeated MIBR 2-0 in the first round of the upper bracket, followed by a 2-1 victory over FURIA Esports in the upper bracket quarterfinals.
Continuing their triumphant run, KRU faced off against fellow South American squad Leviatán in the upper bracket semifinals, where they took a convincing 2-0 win.
In the upper bracket final, KRU pulled off a 2-1 upset victory over North American squad Cloud9, the top-seeded team in the VCT Americas regular season.
Maintaining their momentum, KRU impressed in the grand final, where they faced Leviatán again. KRU delivered another exceptional performance, defeating Leviatán 3-1 and ultimately earning their spot at this year’s Valorant Champions.
In the grand final, KRU’s duelist main, Angelo “keznit” Mori, delivered an exceptional performance, securing an impressive 18 first bloods and achieving the highest average ACS of 262 across all four maps.
Although they faced a setback with a 13-8 loss on Pearl, KRU showcased their superiority in the first, third, and fourth maps. They secured a commanding 13-5 win on Split, followed by a strong 13-6 victory on Ascent, and ultimately closed out the series with a 13-10 triumph on Lotus.
KRU Esports will join Evil Geniuses, NRG Esports, and LOUD as the Americas League representatives at Valorant Champions 2023. They will compete against the best teams from the Pacific and EMEA Leagues and the top three squads from China.
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