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Valorant Game Changers Championship 2023 began on 28th November 2023, igniting the Valorant competitive scene. Fans from all over the world are witnessing the top eight teams from all over the world fight for the coveted title and trophy in São Paulo, Brazil at the Arena CBLOL.
While the tournament is nearing completion with just the grand final left, here is a look back at what went down during Valorant Game Changers Championship 2022 and who lifted the coveted trophy.
Valorant Game Changers Championship 2022 Winner: A Recap
Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers is a program that is aimed at supplementing the competitive season by creating new opportunities and exposure for women and other marginalized genders within Valorant esports.
The first iteration of Valorant Game Changers was in 2022 and it paved the way for female esports players in the competitive landscape. Teams were competing for a prize pool of $500,000. Almost every team competing in the event had been a reigning champion in its own region. But there was one team that shone the brightest, and ended up winning the championship in Germany: G2 Gozen.
As fans all over the world kept their eyes glued on the championship fight, the German Valorant roster G2 Gozen became the reigning champion, defeating the other teams. It kicked off the Game Changers EMEA in 2022 with a blast, winning the first two series of the year. The third series, however, fell off its hands as it was defeated by Guild X. But, the two back-to-back victories were enough to take Gozen to the high-stakes Game Changers Championship 2022.
G2 Gozen displayed top-notch performance right from the outset of the tournament. Its first match pitted the team against X10 Sapphire, the champions of APAC Elite. However, X10 Sapphire proved to be no match against the formidable strength of G2 Gozen.
The match began on Icebox, where X10 initially thwarted G2 Gozen's efforts to establish a strong momentum. It concluded the first half with an 8-4 advantage for G2. However, when the sides switched, G2 Gozen's defensive prowess took it to victory. It won five consecutive rounds, sealing the match without any response from X10. The next match on Breeze unfolded in a similarly one-sided fashion, with G2 dominating the first half 9-3. Despite a strong defense from X10, G2 Gozen secured a 13-7 victory, dominating the game.
In the upper bracket semi-final in VCT Game Changers Championship 2022, G2 Gozen faced the top NA team that had won every single North American Series in 2021 and 2022. The formidable Cloud9 White was not going out without a fight and that was proven in what unfolded in the next series.
G2’s first round began with a win on the Defender side, but C9 responded strongly with a four-round winning streak. The teams continued to mull for victory, exchanging rounds and streaks, resulting in a 6-6 score by the end of the first half. However, once the sides switched, C9 became unstoppable. Despite a late-round victory from G2, C9 secured a decisive 13-7 win on Ascent.
But determined to win, G2 made a powerful comeback in Game 2 on Breeze. Here, it established a four-round winning streak. C9 responded by claiming five consecutive rounds, but once G2 halted that streak, it proved to be nearly unstoppable. The game ended with a 13-6 victory in favor of G2, setting the stage for a crucial final game.
Game 3 on Pearl could have swung either way, but G2 swiftly overcame C9. It dominated the first half with a 9-3 lead, as C9 struggled to secure occasional wins in the midst G2's series of victories. Moreover, G2 prevented the team from securing win in the second half, ending the game with a 13-3 score. And hence, G2 advanced to the Upper Bracket Final with confidence.
It won the upper bracket final against Team Liquid with a flawless 2-0 victory.
As it continued to make its way to the finals, it vied against Shopify Rebellion GC for a staggering win. There were five rounds, all full of intense gameplay and a zeal to win. The first two rounds on Pearl and Bind dragged G2 to a slow start, with scores of 9-13 in both games. However, it soon made a stellar comeback, proving why it had made it to the final. The next rounds were played in Ascent, Icebox and Breeze, where G2 showed off its exquisite performance, thrashing Shopify Rebellion and emerging victorious. It lead all the three matches by a score of 13 against Shopify’s 3, 2 and 5 respectively.
The players who were on the G2 Gozen team that lifted the trophy are as follows:
Julia “juliano” Kiran
Petra “Petra” Stoker
Michaela “mimi” Lintrup
Anastasiya “Glance” Anisimova
Maryam “Mary” Maher
In the ongoing Valorant Game Changers Championshop 2023, G2 Gozen faced a shocking defeat in the lower bracket final on 2nd December. Team Liquid Brazil handed the team a tough 2-0 loss and sent G2 Gozen home. As a result, G2 Gozen failed to retain the trophy this year.
On 3rd December, a new Valorant Game Changers Champion will be crowned and the two teams gearing up for one last hurdle in the form of a best-of-five (BO5) are Shopify Rebellion and Team Liquid.
