DRX vs Cloud9 - VCT LOCK//IN 2023: Predictions, where to watch, and more

VCT LOCK//IN 2023’s Day 5 is set to pit North America’s Cloud9 against South Korean prodigy team DRX in a nail-biting best-of-three series. The winner of the knockout quarterfinals matchup will progress to the Group Alpha semifinals, while the loser will be sent home.

Featuring 32 teams in its totality, VCT LOCK//IN has a punishing single-elimination format, which has undoubtedly kept all participants on their toes. For those unaware, teams are divided into two groups, Group Alpha and Group Omega. Each group contains 16 teams.

The tournament’s first phase began on February 13, 2023, with fans witnessing Group Alpha teams taking on each other. As of now, 10 teams out of the 32 stand eliminated after losing games in the first round and quarterfinals.

This article offers predictions for the upcoming quarterfinals matchup involving Cloud9 and DRX through general comparisons, head-to-head, recent results, and more.

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Cloud9 vs. DRX: Who will win the upcoming knockout quarterfinals series in VCT LOCK//IN 2023?

Considering their performance in VCT LOCK//IN so far, both teams are more or less in the same stature. Cloud9 and DRX have won one series in the tournament so far by defeating their opponents, Paper Rex (PRX) and BBL Esports, respectively.

Looking at their recent form, Cloud9 and DRX seem to have built enough team chemistry and successful strategies to counter their opponents’ best moves in VCT LOCK//IN and beyond.

However, there are a few noticeable differences between the rosters that may help predict the possible outcome of February 18’s match.

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Predictions

Cloud9 have a newly formed roster fueled by Riot Games’ partnership program for Valorant esports. They acquired former OpTiC player yay and former Version1/Sentinels athlete Zellsis while retaining long-standing players from the old Valorant roster, including vanity, leaf, and Xeppaa, to complete their professional roster for VCT 2023.

While Cloud9 are yet to build the best case of team synergy, the members of DRX’s Valorant roster, namely Rb, stax, Zest, BuZz, and MaKo, have been playing together since VCT 2021. Their capabilities can be measured by their top-tier performances in the erstwhile Valorant Champions 2022. DRX were also one of the most consistent teams in VCT 2022.

Considering team chemistry and discipline, DRX seem to have a noticeable upper hand over Cloud9. However, Cloud9, powered by one of the best Valorant players (yay), are fully capable of turning everything in their favor. After all, VCT LOCK//IN has produced some pretty unexpected results and fueled a bunch of astonishing plays from teams so far.

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Head-to-head

Considering Cloud9’s nascent form, DRX and Cloud9, in their current composition, haven’t met each other in a professional game of Valorant yet.

In Valorant Champions 2021, Cloud9’s old roster, featuring Xeppa, leaf, and vanity, faced Vision Strikers and defeated them in the group stage. Interestingly, Vision Strikers, featuring Rb, stax, Zest, BuZz, and MaKo, were later acquired by DRX to form their Valorant roster in early 2022.

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Recent results

Head-to-head and recent results (Image via vlr.gg)

Cloud9 and DRX have won one matchup each in the ongoing VCT LOCK//IN 2023. Considering Cloud9’s reformed roster, it would be worthless to discuss the teams' performances in VCT 2022.

However, DRX performed extraordinarily in last year's Valorant Champions, placing third on the final leaderboard.

Both teams were active during the VCT off-season. Cloud9 performed impressively in the past Red Bull Home Grounds #3 held in December 2022. DRX also participated in multiple third-party tournaments in the Pacific region and emerged victorious in all of them.

Regardless of the number of successes DRX’s long-standing roster has pocketed recently, both teams seem to be on the same level in VCT LOCK//IN.

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Potential lineups

DRX

• Kim "stax" Gu-taek (IGL)
• Goo "Rb" Sang-Min
• Kim "Zest" Ki-seok
• Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul
• Kim "MaKo" Myeong-gwan

Cloud9

• Anthony “vanity” Malaspina (IGL)
• Nathan “leaf” Orf
• Erick “Xeppaa” Bach
• Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker
• Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro

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Where to watch

Fans can watch Cloud9 go up against DRX in VCT LOCK//IN 2023 on February 18, 2023, at 9:00 am PDT/7:00 pm CEST/10:30 pm IST. The match will be livestreamed on Valorant esports’ YouTube and Twitch channels. In addition, fans can join their favorite streamer’s watch parties to enjoy the game.