EDG’s Dazzling Victory
On the evening of August 25th (Vietnam time), the global VALORANT community witnessed the new champion of the VCT Champions 2024, which is Edward Gaming. The representative from the populous nation truly had a journey filled with ups and downs and surprises this year. With outstanding performances, EDG rightfully claimed the throne against a very strong opponent in the VALORANT scene – Team Heretics. Notably, TH showcased great resilience and performance, even after falling to the lower bracket. Moreover, historically, FPS games have not been a stronghold for Eastern teams but rather the domain of Western players.
It is worth mentioning that EDG did not have the advantage right from the start and was pressured quite a bit by TH, especially in the first game of the finals. However, with the resilience honed through each match, EDG won with a score of 3-2, claiming the championship of VCT Champions 2023, and providing the audience with a spectacular final, closing out yet another emotional season of 2024 for the VALORANT community in general and for the EDG players in particular.
The Strange Coincidence of EDG and a Former Worlds Champion of LoL
There is a surprising fact between EDG and a past Worlds champion in the LoL scene. Accordingly, the venue where EDG triumphantly defeated TH at VCT Champions 2024 is Incheon, South Korea. And perhaps many LoL fans still remember, Incheon is the place where the mighty Invictus Gaming in 2018 was crowned, bringing top world superstars like TheShy, Rookie, and JackeyLove into the spotlight. IG’s championship was also the first Worlds title for LPL, marking the beginning of LPL’s dominance in LoL and elevating this region to be on par with LCK.
Whether EDG can usher in a golden age for VALORANT in China specifically, or even for FPS games in Asia in general, only time will tell. But at this moment, they are the reigning champions of VCT Champions – an event of equivalent stature to the Worlds of LoL. And the audience also has the right to hope for a bright future for VALORANT here as well as in Asia when facing Western opponents in the future.