DRX's Zest adds tangy twist to DRX's series win over BBL Esports
Day two of VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo has been a day jampacked with several surprises in the competitive VALORANT scene. From FunPlus Phoenix’s failed attempts on Lotus to seeing the tournament’s first Yoru pick, VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo has provided top-tier diversity in the 2023 VALORANT meta. Yet, one of the biggest storylines for DRX was if Kim "zest" Gi-seok or Jung "Foxy9" Jae-Sung would round out their lineup in São Paulo. Whether it was with zest or Foxy9, something that was not going to change was DRX’s sole mission to continue their dominance from VCT Champions 2022.
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9-3 curse unable to save BBL from DRX domination
DRX were considered the heavy favorites going into today’s matchup against EMEA’s BBL Esports, who tried to confuse DRX with a cheeky Yoru pick on Pearl.
Unfortunately for BBL Esports, the only thing confusing about the first map was why QutionerX’s Yoru was the only saving grace for the team against DRX. The rest of the team ended the series with abysmal score lines as QutionerX’s Yoru was the only pick to have a positive rating, 1.05, on the side of BBL Esports.
Don't f*cking say it #VCTLOCKIN
— DRX VALORANT (@DRX_VALORANT) February 14, 2023
Sorry DRX, but I'm gonna say it, not even the infamous 9-3 curse could save BBL Esports from you. It was pure domination in the second half from the side of DRX as they closed out the second half in four quick rounds.
BBL Esports stun DRX on Ascent
Ascent was a much better start for BBL Esports, who got a quick headstart over DRX by netting a four-map lead over DRX on Ascent. However, soon after, it almost felt like DRX was just trying to avoid the 9-3 curse as every other round went toward the side of the Koreans in the first half.
Luckily for BBL Esports, the pistol went in their favor as they were able to recollect some momentum to keep it somewhat competitive at 8-6 after 14 rounds. While DRX was able to temporarily disrupt this momentum to bring the game to 9-6 in their favor, BBL Esports stunned DRX with an exceptional performance from Mehmet "Turko" Özen ‘s KAY/O, who helped the team reach map point. While DRX nearly inched Ascent into overtime, their efforts were not enough to stop BBL Esports from taking the series to a third map.
DRX sours BBL Esports' dreams of an upset at VCT LOCK//IN
Things got a little scary on the side of DRX after a dominant 11-1 first half on Haven as BBL Esports scraped together six rounds in the second half to bring the scoreline to 7-12. Unfortunately, the sweet taste of victory was not in the cards for BBL Esports as DRX's BuZz put the finishing touches on a 2-1 series win for DRX.
Where can you watch VCT LOCK//IN?
VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo is officially underway as Group Alpha has begun its quest for the first international trophy of 2023. You can watch the action unfold on VCT's Twitch and YouTube channels.
Sage got his start in esports as a volunteer writer in 2016 for esports organization, Dignitas. Since then, he has continued to work on his craft as a journalist and reporter for a number of established esports publications, such as esports.gg, Unikrn, Akshon Esports, Howla, The Player’s Lobby, Nerd Street Gamers, and most recently Dot Esports. Now, as a member of Esports Illustrated’s content team, Sage’s primary duties are centered around creating groundbreaking written and video content about the esports industry that impacts the community in a meaningful way. Sage graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Informatics. There, he was a member of the Rutgers Esports Executive Board, both as the head of the fighting game community and a videographer/photographer for the Content team.