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VCT 2023 has finally kicked off with LOCK//IN. The event will see thirty franchised teams plus two Chinese teams compete against each other. The tournament will be conducted in a single elimination format, meaning one loss will be the end of the team's journey in LOCK//IN.
Day 1 of VCT LOCK//IN gave viewers two incredible matches. The first match was between NRG Esports vs KOI where NRG were able to make a commendable comeback on their first after being down 3-9 in the first half. They ended up winning the second map as well and thus beat KOI by 2-0 in the BO3 (Best of Three), making them the first team to be eliminated.
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In the second match, Giants Gaming dominated the Japanese team, DetonatioN FocuMe by beating them 2-0 in the BO3 wherein the matches went 13-4, 13-7. DetonatioN FocuMe is the second team to get eliminated from VCT LOCK//IN. Day 2 of the Alpha group will start off with EMEA's Karmine Corp going up against the Chinese team, FunPlus Phoenix (FPX).
FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) vs Karmine Corp - Who will open Day 2 with a win in VCT LOCK//IN?
Predictions
Karmine Corp, the French esports organization, hasn't made a dent in VCT events yet. However, the signing of the deadly experienced brother duo of ScreaM and Nivera in November 2022 has increased their chances of making Valorant history. LOCK//IN will be their first international appearance.
However, FunPlus Phoenix is a Chinese Valorant team that previously went by the name of FunPlus Phoenix Zhuque. The team has been playing for quite some time and has produced decent results.
The matchup will most likely favor Karmine Corp because the roster has players with a lot more experience and have played in international events of VCT. At the same time, however, players from FPX have been playing together for quite some time and, in a way, could be a bag of surprises that could throw off Karmine Corp.
Head-to-head
This is FunPlus Phoenix's first appearance in a VCT international event. Hence, neither of these teams have played against the other before.
Recent results
Karmine Corp's last official match was against Valorians in November 2022 in the Valorant Regional League France: Revolution - Coup De France, where they lost 1-2. However, one thing to note is that Karmine Corp's roster back then was different from what it is right now.
FunPlus Phoenix's last official match was in the Grand Finals of the FGC Valorant Invitational 2022: Epilogue against another East Asian team, EDward Gaming, which had surprised everyone in Valorant Champions 2022, Istanbul. Here, FPX won 3-1 against EDward Gaming to win the entire tournament.
Potential Lineups
Karmine Corp
- Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom
- Nabil "Nivera" Benrlitom
- Alexandre "xms" Forte
- Ryad "SHIN" Ensaad
- Alexis "Newzera" Humbert
FunPlus Phoenix
- Zhang "AAAAY" Yang
- Zhang "berLIN" Bolin
- He "YuChEn" Cai
- Huang "Yuicaw" Yung-chieh
- Tang "nizhaoTZH" Zehao
When and where to watch
Viewers can watch all the LOCK//IN matches on the official Twitch and YouTube channels of Valorant Champions Tour. You can also tune in to the watch parties that will be conducted by streamers and players across the globe. The matchup between Karmine Corp and FunPlus Phoenix is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 14, 9:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm CET/ 10:30 pm IST.
