Total Shorty Kills
VCT Japan: Challengers 3 Group A Results
Gabriel Ionica
03/06/2021
Another week, another VCT Japan stage. Before I get into the deets of Challengers 3, make sure you read up on the results of Challengers 2 Group A and Group B!
REJECT VS SCARZ
REJECT had a hard time last week, something I found very surprising considering their background. The team we saw last week seems to be gone now and a much more determined REJECT took its place. The first half of Ascent was particularly strong for them, only dropping two rounds to SCARZ. In the second half, they dropped absolutely none. Topping the entire game’s leaderboards was REJECT’s Yuuma “Dep” Hisamoto with 203.4 ADR, who helped win the game 13:2 for his team.
The first half of Icebox was a bit more even for the two teams, as SCARZ actually took five rounds away from REJECT but still lost the half to them 5:7. The second half only garnered them another two rounds but that was not enough to win the entire game. The game went 13:7 to REJECT and brought them the first win of the day.
Novagis Gaming VS Lag Gaming
Lag Gaming didn’t actually make it to Challengers 2 while FIRST Gaming eliminated Novagis Gaming. In the first fight for Masters of VCT Japan, the two teams looked pretty evenly matched. Novagis took the lead on Haven but LAG quickly knocked them back down. Novagis was unable to regain their lead in the first half and LAG quickly took advantage of that to win it 7:5. The latter’s advantage continued into the second half and Novagis was the one left lagging behind as they long the game 6:13 in favor of LAG.
LAG Gaming flipped the situation on Bind and they took the advantage in the first half. Even so, Novagis still won five rounds so they weren’t out of the game just yet. LAG’s four-round head-start in the second half was nullified by Novagis with their consecutive own four rounds. Two more rounds were all that LAG Gaming needed to win the game and they did just that, with a 13:11 scoreline.
SCARZ VS LAG Gaming
SCARZ came fresh off a loss to REJECT but you wouldn’t know that from the first half of Haven. A quick round advantage from SCARZ left LAG Gaming lagging behind with only five rounds to their name and a 5:7 loss. They carried that winning attitude into the second half with ryota carrying his team to a 13:7 win with a 211.9 ADR.
As with many other VCT Japan matches, everything flipped in the second map. LAG was the one in the lead this time around and took the first half from SCARZ with the same 7:5 score from Haven. SCARZ started off the second half with three rounds but that lead quickly waned and LAG Gaming won Split 13:9.
Novagis Gaming VS SCARZ
Talk about a close match. Right off the bat we see both teams battling for dominance, with neither of them in the lead for too long. Novagis eventually put an end to that and ended the first half of Haven 7:5 in their favor. They weren’t able to hold that lead in the second half and surprisingly SCARZ ended up winning the game 13:10 after a fantastic comeback.
Novagis took a more aggressive lead in the first half of Ascent, ending it 8:5 with SCARZ only winning four of the 12 rounds. SCARZ once again flipped the script in the second half but didn’t win Ascent. Instead, Novagis took home their first win of the day with a 13:11 final score.
REJECT VS LAG Gaming
LAG Gaming were on fire this match with a strong lead over REJECT on Bind. REJECT quickly took back the rounds they lost and actually tied the first half 6:6 very quickly. The same happened in the second half except LAG was the one who had to take back some lost rounds. The second half was tied 6:6 once more, so it was down to the wire in overtime. LAG Gaming was not able to capitalize on their second half comeback and REJECT took the two overtime rounds and thus the game with a 14:12 win.
REJECT continued their lead into Haven and completely dominated the first half, closing it out 8:4 in their favor. LAG regained its footing somewhat in the second half, bringing the score very close but no dice. REJECT was the stronger team here and won 13:11.
REJECT VS Novagis Gaming
REJECT’s last game of the day started off very well, with seven rounds going their way one after the other in the first half of Bind. Novagis fought back with four rounds of their own but it didn’t stop the 8:5 first half win for REJECT. The second half went much the same for REJECT with Dep once more leading the charge and helping take the 13:7 win for his team.
Icebox was a bit of a different story and Novagis was the one in the lead in the first half that ended 7:5 in their favor. The second half was Novagis territory as well and thanks in part to rez1v‘s 181.7 ADR, they win Icebox 13:8.
- REJECT 2:0 SCARZ
- Novagis Gaming 0:2 LAG Gaming
- SCARZ 1:1 LAG Gaming
- Novagis Gaming 1:1 SCARZ
- REJECT 2:0 LAG Gaming
- REJECT 1:1 Novagis Gaming
After Group A, REJECT and LAG Gaming qualified for the Masters stage while Novagis Gaming and SCARZ were eliminated. Tune in tomorrow for a detailed look into how VCT Japan Group B went and who else made it into Masters. In order to not miss it, follow us at Run it Back and join our Discord for all your latest news, extensive guides, and exclusive interviews in the world of Valorant.
