VCT 2022: FPX, Gambit, and Team Liquid advance to the playoff stage

The group stage of the 2022 Valorant Champions Tour: Europe, Middle East and Africa has come and gone, with FunPlus Phoenix completing group B in first place after taking down NAVI on March 18. Since the beginning of the tournament, FunPlus Phoenix had a consistent performance compared to the other European representatives, such as Team Liquid. Their opponent in the playoff stage is not determined yet.

The teams that made it to the playoff stage are as follows:

Fnatic
Guild
G2 Esports
Team Liquid
Gambit Esports
FunPlus Phoenix

After a shaky start to the group stage, Gambit bounced back to the competition with three consecutive wins over NAVI, BIG, and LDNU, respectively. The CIS representative had to win all remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs, and they did not disappoint their fans either. In the closing series of the group stage, Gambit demolished LDNU on Ascent and Breeze, giving their opponent only six rounds in these two maps in total. Thanks to this outstanding victory, Gambit tied in second place with 4-1 ahead of Team Liquid, who had no matches in week 6.

Here are the final standings for the group stage of the 2022 VCT: EMEA Stage 1 Challengers

GMB vs Guild — G2 vs Team Liquid

Gambit will face off Guild in the first round of the playoff stage on March 22. The series between Gambit and Guild has a high potential to be jaw-dropping and will give some glimpse of the rivalry between CIS and Europe. Although Guild lost to Fnatic in their last group match, they are still one favorite for the title. On the flip side, Gambit looked to have found their best form to lead them to the championship at Masters Berlin. The winner of the series can reach the finals even though Fnatic and FPX stood out.

Fans will enjoy the European derby between G2 Esports and Team Liquid, the two teams that finished third in the group stage. Considering their latest performance, G2 may be one step ahead as they move towards this hectic series.

After all, they struggled against the defending champion, Acend, and the Turkish representative who was considered underdog, BBL Esports, in a more tough group. G2 somehow made its way to the playoff stage and will be the favorite against Team Liquid. This highly anticipated series is scheduled to play on March 22. Take a note if you don’t want to miss the fun. You can catch all the action from Valorant’s official Twitch channel.