VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Finals Weekend Preview
After two weeks of play, VCT 2023: LOCK//IN is finally down to just four teams as Group Alpha’s DRX and LOUD, and Group Omega’s Fnatic and Natus Vincere battle one another for a spot in the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Grand Final
These are all four of the remaining teams at the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: LOCK//IN, their path to this point, and what they need to do to secure the championship title.
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LOUD: The hometown heroes looking to go back-to-back in VCT 2023: LOCK//IN
The reigning VCT Champions 2022 victors came to VCT 2023: LOCK//IN with waned expectations. While they were the reigning champions, many questioned how well the team would perform without Gustavo “sacy” Rossi and Bryan “pANcada” Luna, who left to join Sentinels. However, this tournament has made it really clear that LOUD’s remaining trio is better than ever, especially after their exciting match against NRG to reach this point. If they want to make it back to their third international VALORANT LAN Grand Final, they will need to clean up their gameplay seen against NRG and take it to another level against DRX, who are completely unchanged from 2022.
LOUD’s Erick “aspas” Santos has been the star in all three of LOUD’s matches so far. Expect all eyes to be on him as LOUD look to become the first two-time international LAN winner.
DRX: Consistency unheard of in VALORANT
DRX is the definition of consistency when it comes to VALORANT. Even against tough opponents with superstar talent, DRX continues to prove a strong foundation for fundamentals. Additionally, they have some of the region’s most prolific talents that trying to match their firepower is impossible, even for the most talented players.
It feels good to see a Pacific team make it to the semifinals and DRX is definitely the best opportunity for the region to win its first international victory. However, their upcoming match against LOUD will be their biggest test yet.
Unlike the remaining teams, DRX has yet to actually make a Grand Final at an international LAN event in VALORANT. That being said, they are also the only team left that retained all five of their players from 2022. VCT 2023: LOCK//IN could be DRX’s moment in the spotlight. Whether they can keep all eyes on them by knocking out the reigning VCT Champs is all on them.
Fnatic’s superteam is undefeated going into VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Finals Weekend
Fnatic’s upcoming series against Natus Vincere will be a thrilling matchup to see who is the top dog in the EMEA’s. That being said, I have a feeling 2023 will be a constant back-and-forth between both teams. This upcoming semifinal between both teams is just a quick teaser of how this rivalry continues to evolve. Fnatic built on their 2022 trio of Jake “Boaster” Howlett, Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev, and Emir “Alfajer” Ali Beder coming into 2023 by adding two EMEA stars. They began by picking up former Guild Esports star Leo “Leo” Jannesson before turning their lineup into an EMEA superteam by acquiring VCT Masters Berlin champion Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov.
That highly-anticipated EMEA superteam has only exceeded viewers’ expectations as the team has looked dominant in every single match to reach this point. Now, the only question is if this dominance can continue against Natus Vincere, who many deem as their biggest competitor. With their biggest roadblock ahead of them before the finals, it will be interesting to see how far this new 2023 Fnatic can take this run.
Natus Vincere: All eyes on Shao at VCT 2023: LOCK//IN
There were zero doubts that both Natus Vincere and Fnatic would be the final two teams from Group Omega. While EMEA has had an overall poor showing at VCT 2023: LOCK//IN, all of the European faith was put into both Fnatic and Natus Vincere. Lo and behold, they made it to the semifinals without dropping a single map. For Natus Vincere, their 2022 core from FunPlus Phoenix has continued to look strong in 2023 as Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky has been untouchable in Sao Paulo, especially on Fade and Omen. In his series against Leviatán, Shao pieced together a 1.46 Rating with 33 kills as he led the team to the semifinals.
Natus Vincere will have their work cut out for themselves against Fnatic, who was undoubtedly their biggest rivals domestically all throughout 2022. Whoever wins this series will undoubtedly be the favorite going into the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Grand Final.
How to watch VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Finals Weekend
Finals weekend will begin on March 2, 2023, with LOUD and DRX. That will be followed by Fnatic and Natus Vincere on March 3, 2023, where the stage will be set for the Grand Final on March 4, 2023. There, the final two teams will battle for both bragging rights and an extra slot at VCT Masters: Tokyo for their respective region.
You can watch the action unfold on VCT's Twitch and YouTube channels. For how all the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo Omega matches played out, be sure to check out our article on who won each match.
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.