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The Ludwig x Tarik Invitational is set to kick off in the coming hours as four top-tier Valorant rosters prepare to engage in high-octane action over the course of the next two days. This VCT OFF//SEASON tournament will be conducted as a LAN event from January 14-15, 2023, boasting a grand prize pool of $50,000.
The tournament will kick off with an all-out entertainer as T1's Korean roster is set to face North America's The Guard in a best-of-three encounter. Both organizations are yet to compete in an official matchup this season, making this encounter all the more fascinating.
T1 vs The Guard: Who will win their opening match and advance to Upper Bracket Finals of Ludwig x Tarik Valorant Invitational?
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Predictions
Both T1 and The Guard have a team that's capable of competing against the top Valorant rosters in the world. T1 has formed an all-Korean roster with tier-1 talents in preparation for their VCT Pacific League endeavors, which will kick off later this year.
The highlight of T1's current roster is their star Duelist, Sayaplayer, who was formerly a key member of The Guard. The organization also acquired former Overwatch pro Carpe, a player often in conversation as the Overwatch League's best Damage player of all-time, to aid them in their VCT campaign.
In addition to these two, T1 has experienced talent minds xeta and ban, both of whom have competed in the North American circuit before, as well as young talents like Munchkin and BeomJun who are capable of competing on a high-level.
The Guard, despite not receiving a franchise spot, has retained four members of their previous roster and appears en route to success in the tier-2 NA Challengers League with the chance to earn a franchise spot through VCT Ascension.
Sayaplayer was the only player from The Guard's NA Challengers winning roster to leave the organization. Meanwhile, valyn, trent, neT, and JonahP remained with the team, determined to fight through the tier-2 VCLs (Valorant Challengers League) and compete alongside the best teams in the world.
The Guard was also one of NA's leading Valorant rosters in the 2022 season. Although they failed to make a mark on international LANs, their performance within the North American region has been nothing short of incredible.
Heading into this upcoming matchup, T1 looks to have secured the upper hand by maintaining a star-studded roster brimming with potential. Although we are yet to see both rosters at their full capacity, T1 has the most promising set of players with the experience and skills required to succeed on the big stage. Regardless of the outcome, fans can expect an engaging matchup between the two sides.
Head-to-head
The current rosters of T1 and The Guard are yet to play against each other in an official Valorant fixture. However, both organizations have faced off with their previous rosters once before.
The encounter came in the semi-finals of the NSG Winter Championship: Open 14 almost a year ago on January 20, 2022, where the audience witnessed The Guard triumph over T1 in a best-of-three matchup.
Recent results
Neither team has played an official matchup with their current roster. T1's previous roster, which consisted of only three of its current members, recorded a victory over Northern Forces (2-0) at the BoomTV Proving Grounds: Unleashed in August 2022 for their most recent matchup.
The Guard's old roster, which consists of four of their current members, was defeated by 100 Thieves in the Grand Finals of the VCT NA Last Chance Qualifiers in their last official matchup.
Potential lineups
T1
- Son "xeta" Seon-ho
- Byeon "Munchkin" Sang-beom (IGL)
- Joseph "ban" Seungmin Oh
- Ha "Sayaplayer" Jung-woo
- Lee "Carpe" Jae-hyeok
- Kim "BeomJun" Beom-jun
- Yoon "Autumn" Eu-teum (Coach)
The Guard
- Jacob "valyn" Batio (IGL)
- Michael "neT" Bernet
- Jonah "JonahP" Pulice
- Trent "trent" Cairns
- Ian "tex" Botsch
- Josh "JoshRT" Lee (Coach)
Where to watch
The Ludwig x Tarik Valorant Invitational will be streamed live for interested viewers worldwide by Ludwig on his YouTube channel (@ludwig), and by Tarik on Twitch. T1 vs The Guard will commence on January 14, 2022, at 10 am PST/ 7 pm CET/ 11.30 pm IST.
