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Week 1 of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers Playoffs kicked off with 4 quarter-finals matchups, one of which featured an exciting encounter between Luminosity Gaming and Version1.
In an enthralling best-of-three series, Luminosity, who was fourth on their Group Stage leaderboard, managed to defeat the unbeaten Version1, sending them down to the tournament's Lower Bracket.
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An incredible defensive half on Bind (10-13) pushed the map in Luminosity's favor, while Version1's defensive strategies on Ascent (8-13) earned them Map 2. The deciding match on Fracture was a close one as Luminosity claimed a 15-13 overtime victory.
bdog talks about Luminosity's performance in their win against Version1 in VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers Quarter-finals
In a conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Adarsh J. Kumar, Luminosity Gaming's Brandon Michael "bdog" Sanders elaborated on their performance after defeating the unbeaten Version1 squad in the quarter-finals of VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers.
Q: Luminosity are the first team in VCT 2022 Stage 1 Challengers to defeat Version1. How do you think your team performed in this matchup?
bdog: I think we played really well today. We played at our peak today and I think we definitely deserved to win with how we played.
Q: Prior to this matchup, Version1 enjoyed a 5-match winning streak, with wins against teams such as Sentinels and OpTic, among others. How do you think they performed against Luminosity?
bdog: They definitely got caught off by us because of which they weren't able to play at their level.
Q: How have you liked things so far in the new meta that was brought up by the changes that came in Patch 4.04?
bdog: I think the changes are good for the game. I find it a lot more enjoyable when we don't have to deal with a broken Astra.
Q: You are the latest member of Luminosity's roster. How has your experience been with the team since your arrival in January?
bdog: The experience has been great, and the team is the best team I have been on by far. All the players are extremely experienced and having good leaders really helps us all stay focused in the game.
Q: Looking back at the Group Stage, did Luminosity's performance match the expectations you had for the team prior to the start of VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers?
bdog: Personally, I never thought we were going to beat everybody. I just thought that we would make the playoffs for sure, which we did. It could've gone a little smoother, but we reached the playoffs and we're here now.
Q: Luminosity's last appearance at a Masters event was in the NA Stage 1 Masters in VCT 2021. How confident is the team in winning the crucial playoffs fixtures and making it to the VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters?
bdog: I'm confident. We defeated Version1, who were the big team to take out. I think we can go all the way. After beating those guys, we're definitely on a new level, especially when you compare when we were bootcamping together to how we're playing now.
