VCT 2022: Stage 2 Challengers - Week 3 Recap

Another Monday, another VCT 2022 Challengers Recap. The playoff battle intensifies across the globe as we are now past the halfway point of the Stage 2 Group stage.

North America

"A week of stomps" is how we could characterize Week 3 of North American Stage 2 Challengers. All six best-of-threes ended with a 2-0 result, with most of the games ending with a comfortable margin.

After losing their first two matches, Stage 1 Challengers champions The Guard finally secured their first win. TSM was on the receiving end of Sayaplayer's 47 combined frags on Haven and Icebox, as The Guard took the W 2-0.

Also in group A, 100Thieves handed XSET their first loss, while Ghost Gaming took down NRG with NiSMO dropping 50 combined kills on Raze and KAY/O.

In Group B, Luminosity Gaming suffered their first loss in Stage 2 to Evil Geniuses, taking only two rounds on Bind.

Sentinels simply can't catch a break. They suffered another loss to OpTic Gaming. Unfortunately, they were forced to play their new sub Dani and their coach Rawkus because TenZ and SicK couldn't play this weekend.

OpTic is now very close to securing playoffs, as they now stand as the only undefeated team left in NA VCT Stage 2 Challengers.

Finally, FaZe Clan got their first win in groups, with a comfortable victory over Cloud 9, also tying them in standings at 1-2.

EMEA

Day one of European Stage 2 Challengers kicked off with a battle for first place in Group B. Guild continued their incredible run by taking down a Valorant powerhouse Team Liquid 2-1. Guild is now one step away from playoffs, as they stand undefeated after three weeks.

G2 esports also continues to surprise us, though not in a good way. They lost to OG LDN UTD, despite being heavy favorites. This match was very important for G2 to win, as they now have a very difficult job in the final two weeks to advance to the playoffs.

On Saturday, winless NAVI and BIG squared off to find their first victory. NAVI had the upper hand, securing a 2-1 match win that keeps their playoff hopes alive.

Fnatic isn't showing any signs of slowing down, as they demolished Ascend in a battle for the top of Group A. They joined Guild as the only two undefeated teams in EMEA, looking strong heading into playoffs.

On Sunday, M3C and FPX took care of business, not allowing any surprises. They secured 2-0 wins versus BBL and FOKUS respectively, and now sit comfortably in their groups with two weeks remaining.

Other Regions

LOUD, MiBR, and Ninjas in Pyjamas stayed undefeated throughout the first three weeks of Brazillian VCT Stage 2 Challengers.

In South Korea, undefeated DRX is yet to play their match against Tartarus, while Damwon Kia and On Sla2ers hold second with a 3-1 score after Week 2.

APAC Challengers are ready to kick off soon, with only three spots up for grabs. Region's representatives at Stage 1 Masters XERXA and PaperRex have already qualified and are once again favorites to get their tickets to Copenhagen.

The VCT 2022 Stage 2 Challengers continues on Friday, June 3rd, and you can watch all the action live on Twitch and YouTube. Also, check out the full schedule over at valorantesports.com.