5 highlights from Valorant Champions finals that defined the evening

The Valorant Champions 2021 recently ended after a topsy-turvy two weeks that saw cohesive and coordinated teamplay, thrilling executions, nail-biting clutches, and insane comebacks. In short, the first-ever iteration of the much-vaunted event has managed to produce a successful event, barring some hiccups.

The grand finals saw a star-studded line-up of performers, including PVRIS, Rezz, Zedd, and Grabbitz. Apart from these electrifying displays, the panel did an excellent job of hyping up the viewers for the final extravaganza.

Although Gambit Esport's spot in the finals was predicted by most, not many people expected Acend to make it this far. After an early stumble, the side has been clinical during its Playoff matches to book a seat in the finals.

They continued the momentum in the Grand Final, becoming the world's first Valorant champion after coming out on top 3-2 against Gambit.

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Five moments to remember from grand finale of Valorant Champions 2021

The Valorant Champions 2021 Grand Finals took place in Berlin on December 12 from 9 am PT. According to Esports Charts, the peak viewership of the event was 1,089,068 viewers from all around the world, breaking the previous record for Valorant esports.

1) The Agent 19 teaser

The finals' pre-show began with the previously shown voice-over promo of the Valorant Champions before breaking down into static. The video on-screen changed to a figure made up of lines and codes. A female voice was then heard, sometimes interrupted by static.

This voice is rumored to be from the upcoming Agent 19, a Filipino hotheaded young Radiant who will play a significant role in the Alpha-Omega bridge. Readers can check out further details regarding the teaser here.

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2) The finals' ceremony

The visual esthetics of the EDM heavy acts from the four artists focussed on the color palette of the Champions that was previously established. The ceremony included the following performances:

• Chemical Bond - Rezz, Deathpact
• Rezz (ft. PVRIS) - Sacrificial
• PVRIS - Monster
• Die for Your (ft. Grabbitz) - Zedd Remix

The remixed version of the official music video, Die For You, for the Valorant Champions, was the peak part of the ceremony and perfectly excited the viewers for the evening. Interestingly, lines of code also appeared during the performance on the screens behind the artists.

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3) nAts for Gambit, especially in Map 1

Gambit, the Berlin Masters winner, was 3-9 down in the first map in the finals. The situation looked dire for them. But then nAts started popping off. He single-handedly defended the A-site for several rounds. When Acend switched their strategy to go B, they found nAts waiting for them there too.

nAts played amazingly to deny Acend an early lead in the series. His incredible plays, amassing 29 kills, enabled Gambit to close map one with a 13-11 scoreline. The teen pro finished the match with an astounding 93 kills but in vain.

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4) Gambit's performance on Fracture

Map 3 was a clinical performance from the Masters winner. They played almost flawlessly, where Acend could find no answers to the Russian team's resolute defiance. The frustration of the EMEA team reflected in zeek ending up killing himself with his own Raze ultimate.

nAts again performed amazingly, finishing with 26 kills and a mere three deaths. Gambit finished the map with a scoreline of 13-3.

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5) Acend, the first Valorant champion

Acend did the unprecedented when they took down Gambit last night. It was all the more praiseworthy because not only did they lose the first map from a 9-3 lead, but they were down in the series 1-2 with all the momentum on Gambit's side.

The fourth map saw a scrappy finish, with Acend eking out a 14-12 win. cNed, zeek, and starxo performed marvelously to keep Acend's hopes alive in the series. In the last map on Split, Acend showed why they deserved the crown.

They built a massive lead of 7-1. Like their performances on the other maps in the series, Gambit mounted a comeback and closed the half at 7-5.

However, Acend managed a successful 2v3 post-plant in the next half, dismantled Gambit's aggression and economy, and clinched the series and the crown.

Both sides played their hearts out, leaving everything on the stage. Acend managed to sustain their steam from the earlier stages of the tournament as they saw off a spirited challenge from Gambit to become the first-ever Valorant Champions.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.