Tier 1 easily defeated at Valorant Ludwig x Tarik Invitational

100 Thieves and Cloud9 got handed 2-0 losses by Ascendent teams during the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2.

The newly formed VCT Americas teams have been working during the off-season to get as much practice as possible through unofficial tournaments. Ludwig x Tarik, Afreeca, and Sentinels have hosted events for Tier 1 and Tier 2 players to compete in. However, the Ascendant teams have proven to be on their way with franchised teams.

Despite the league being broken up into two divisions thanks to franchising, the divide isn’t determined by ability. Multiple players, once competing with top-tier organizations, were booted to Tier 2 due to a lack of positions.

100 Thieves and Cloud9 are now the two most recent teams to feel the wrath of Ascendant teams. Oxygen Esports and Moist x Shopify won against their respective teams, guaranteeing an Ascendant team in the finals of the $50,000 event.

Tier 1 starts out slow at the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational

The clash between Cloud9 and Moist x Shopify kicked off on the newly renovated Icebox, which had yet to be featured in competitive play for six months. Despite the teams’ limited knowledge of the map changes, the match remained closely contested, culminating in Moist x Shopify securing a 13-10 victory.

Moist x Spotify’s Mada dominated Cloud9 in both maps, leading to another victory on Ascent. Unfortunately for Cloud9, this 2-0 loss marked them as the first team to face elimination.

Following suit, 100 Thieves faced challenging defeats on Split with a score of 7-13 and Ascent, which extended into overtime, ultimately resulting in a 14-12 win for Oxygen Esports.

100 Thieves will face Cloud9 in the lower bracket of the Invitational to determine which team will be walking away with none of the prize money for themselves.