VCT Stage 3 Masters Berlin is now entering the final stages of the competition, and the quarterfinals proved to be everything that fans were expecting.
After Gambit, and G2 Esports, it's 100 Thieves who will join them, as the third semifinalist in the VCT Stage 3 Masters Berlin. Acend had a great run in the tournament so far, but it all came down to the one match where they failed to perform at their best.
On the other hand, the wonderful journey for 100 Thieves continues in VCT Stage 3 Masters Berlin. Their next opponents in the semifinals would be either Sentinels or Team Envy. Regardless, their victory over Acend will remain in the memory of VALORANT fans forever.
VCT Stage 3 Masters Berlin: 100 Thieves Defeat Acend In A Hard-Fought Best Of Three
100 Thieves took on Acend, and were clearly the favourites to go through. Acend went into the match as underdogs but they flipped the script on the First Strike champions by taking the bo3 to its extremities.
Nevertheless, after an intense war, 100 Thieves progressed as the first North American team in VCT Stage 3 Masters Berlin semifinals. They faced a monumental task, and its the experience in the roster that helped them remain calm through the storm.
Map 1: Ascent
100 Thieves selected Ascent, and they wanted to take an early lead with a comfortable map pick. Their win rate on Ascent is ridiculously high, but it was not to be against European favourites Acend.
Acend took the early lead by taking the first two rounds, forcing 100 Thieves to come out swinging in the third round. 100 Thieves took the next three rounds and made it difficult for Acend to react to their aggressive plays.
The first half ended with a scoreline of 6-6 which did reflect how balanced both teams were going into this quarterfinals matchup. The second half started with 100 Thieves establishing their dominance in the first two rounds.
Regardless, Acend took charge of the game from round 17, and the entire went on a rampage for the following six rounds. They sealed the game 13-7 and showed 100 Thieves who were the boss on Ascent.
Map 2: Haven
Incidentally, Acend picked Haven but it was 100 Thieves who had redemption on their mind. Haven is known for being a retake paradise, and NA teams have statistically dominated this map.
100 Thieves started strong by taking the first four rounds, forcing Acend to make a move. Acend won the round five and seven, but 100 Thieves took the crucial round 8 and 9. The first half scoreline 8-4 ended in favour of 100 Thieves.
Acend was not going to let this map slide as they took four rounds out of the starting five in the second half. Nevertheless, 100 Thieves fought back with nothing but the sheer will to survive in this prestigious tournament.
The final scoreline was 13-8 in favour of 100 Thieves and both teams looked forward to the third map Breeze.
Map 3: Breeze
100 Thieves picked Breeze, but struggled to cope up with Acend's pace in the early rounds. Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek pushed down A Pipes in multiple rounds with an Operator and was rewarded for his bravery with significant picks.
Peter "Asuna" Mazuryk and Nick "nitr0" Cannella were spearheading the defense on A Site for 100 Thieves, while Josh "Steel" Nissan held B as Viper. 100 Thieves failed to find composure in their defending half as they went down 8-4.
Acend were in no mood to let this opportunity slip as they hit hard during the first two defensive rounds. The match went to and fro, and it looked like 100 Thieves were done and dusted when Acend put 12 on the board.
However, Hiko and his teammates were not ready to go gently into that goodnight. They fought tooth and nail and kept knocking on Acend's door. 100 Thieves took the lead for the first time after equalizing and taking the game to overtime.
The match ended 14-12 in favour of 100 Thieves. Asuna led the eliminations for 100 Thieves with 50 kills, whereas cNed had 70 frags over three maps.
Read More - VCT Masters Berlin: Playoffs Brackets, Schedule, Qualified Teams And More Details
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