The South America Last Chance Qualifier is going to be a banger. With KRÜ Esports representing LATAM and Team Vikings and Vivo Keyd heading to Champions for Brazil, one more spot is up for SA overall is up for grabs. There are eight insanely talented teams ready to load into the server and fight their way to one more VALORANT Champions Tour tournament before 2021 ends.

South America Last Chance Qualifier

The eight teams playing in the SA LCQ are:

• Sharks Esports
• Havan Liberty
• FURIA Esports
• Gamelanders Blue
• Six Karma
• Australs
• Infinity Esports
• LAZER

The format for the LCQ involves a group stage followed by a single elimination bracket consisting of the Semifinals and Grand Final. The typical group stage layout will be played. Two matches will take place in the Opening round. Then the Winner’s match, Elimination match, and Decider match will determine the teams moving onto the playoffs portion.

Group A begins with Sharks Esports vs. LAZER and Australs vs. FURIA Esports. Group B opens with Six Karma vs. Gamelanders Blue and Havan Liberty vs. Infinity Esports.

Background

Each team had to fight hard to make it this far in the VALORANT Champions Tour. They all have their story on how they made it here and what needs to happen for the South America Last Chance Qualifier to be their ticket to Champions.

Sharks Esports

Not much has happened with Sharks. They have fielded the same roster since they entered VALORANT on March 6, 2021. Since then, they have been a staple of Brazilian VALORANT. They’ve appeared in Stage 1 Masters, took 2nd place at Stage 2 Challengers Finals, and represented the region at Masters Reykjavik. They just need to lock in for a solid showing.

Havan Liberty

Havan Liberty lost Olavo “heat” Marcelo to Vivo Keyd in June. Since then, they’ve had a bit of a rivalry with VK. VK isn’t in the LCQ, so Havan Liberty could make a run for the playoffs. HL has seen solid placements at First Strike Brazil and every VCT Challengers event. It was enough to propel them to Masters Berlin, but can they make it to Berlin with an even bigger prize at stake?

FURIA Esports

FURIA has been a dominant force in Brazilian VALORANT. The only issue is that when it truly counts, they just miss the mark. They’ve controlled the VCT with several 1st-2nd place finishes. The Challengers Finals and Playoffs to reach international stages has seen them fall short in 3rd both times. They’re looking to change their luck here.

Gamelanders Blue

Nineteen. That is the number of 1st place victories Gamelanders has claimed since they entered VALORANT in 2020. Like FURIA, they haven’t been able to win when it matters most. Stage 1 Masters ended in a Grand Final defeat by Team Vikings. It was even worse for them with 5th-6th and 7th-8th in the Stage 2 and 3 Challengers Playoffs respectively. Now, Fernando “fznnn” Cerqueira is unable to compete and is being replaced by Caio “CTC” Torres. That is just another bump in the road that may prevent them from a Champions berth.

Six Karma

Getting into the LATAM side of things, Six Karma still has plenty to prove. With a roster of potential stars, the South America Last Chance Qualifier is, well, their last chance in the 2021 VCT. They have hung with the likes of KRÜ, LAZER, and Infinity, even winning Stage 3 Challengers 1. There’s nothing that says they can’t walk away as the LCQ winners. Six Karma just has to want it more.

Australs

Four of five Australs players have been with the organization since January. Since then, nothing less than 2nd place has come their way. They’ve placed 1st at Stage 1 Challengers 2 and Stage 1 Masters. Stage 3 Challengers 1, LAS Challengers Playoffs, and LATAM Challengers Finals were 2nd place finishes. They were one win away from representing LATAM at Masters Berlin, which we all know went to KRÜ Esports. Much like Six Karma, Australs is on the cusp of greatness. Fate just needs to have their back.

Infinity Esports

Infinity Esports has a long-standing team like many of the others in the South America Last Chance Qualifier. July of 2020 is when four of their members became a part of the roster. A 2nd place ending to First Strike Latin America North started their run as a premier team in the region. They fell just short at Stage 1 Masters, Stage 2 Challengers Finals, and Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs. Just one more round victory in the latter events could have seen them at an international LAN. They’ve got all the skills to make an impact during the LCQ.

LAZER

The final team to touch on is LAZER. They have performed quite well in the Latin America North region throughout First Strike and the VALORANT Champions Tour. LAZER won First Strike and Stage 1 Challengers 1. At Stage 1 Challengers 2, Stage 1 Masters, Stage 2 Challengers 2, and Stage 3 Challengers 2, the team picked up 2nd place. LAZER is a dangerous squad and the other teams are going to find that out early on in the LCQ.

Predictions

Both groups are completely stacked with two BR and two LATAM teams found in each. A gut feeling says that at least three teams from Brazil make it to the playoff stage. The region has some tough competition and LATAM may find themselves overwhelmed. We’d love to be proven wrong by that, mind you.

For Group A, LAZER is going to win two straight and qualify for the playoffs. FURIA will take down Australs and then drop to the Decider where they will meet Sharks Esports after Australs has been eliminated. From there, FURIA will defeat Sharks and move on with LAZER.

For Group B, Gamelanders and Havan Liberty will advance to the Winner’s contest. Gamelanders will be the victor and qualify. In the Elimination match, Infinity will best Six Karma only to be shut down by Havan Liberty. That cements the playoff bracket with three BR teams and one LATAM team.

The playoff stage of the South America Last Chance Qualifier is a one and done format. Either Havan Liberty or LAZER will push through the LCQ. One of those teams will move onto Champions and face the best the world of VALORANT has to offer.

Stay tuned to Run It Back as the various Last Chance Qualifiers take place for results and more!