Ignis Valoris snatched the championship title over Spades, 2-0, in a best-of-three Valorant match of this year’s Fuego League: The Battle of the Greatest, at Centen B, Feb. 15.
Valoris’ Otto took the winning shot against Spades’ Mirrorball, claiming the championship cup of Fuego League 2023: Battle of the Greatest, along with P6,000 cash.
First encounter
Valoris dictated the pace of the match in the very first minute of the game as they aggressively rushed towards B Site, knocking off every member of Spades in less than thirty seconds after planting the spike during the pistol round.
They rode their momentum high as they assertively pushed through A and B sites in multiple rounds, armed with precise aim and effective skill usage that dominated Bind, the first map of the game, 5-0.
During the sixth round of the one-sided battle, Valoris’ Gado pulled off four consecutive kills while playing as the duelist agent Yoru, completely leaving Spades’ score in the dust, 6-0.
However, despite the huge gap in standings, Spades finally managed to force Valoris into an abrupt break as they suppressed the latter’s aggressive push towards A Site with LosApollo’s Phoenix claiming four kills for himself, 6-1.
In the next round, Spades’ LosApollo hyped the crowd once more with another four kills, this time, in a one versus four situation, 6-2.
The second half did not go as well as the first for Spades as it became difficult for them to pierce through against Valoris’ duelist-heavy team composition and advanced aiming capabilities with Jus10’s Sova and Jop’s Jett getting their own highlights throughout the rest of the rounds, 8-7.
The twentieth round ended with Valoris’ flawless victory, losing not even a single member while cleanly sweeping off their opponents, taking the first map of the series in the process, 13-7.
Comeback attempt
With Valoris being one game away from claiming this year’s Fuego Cup, pressure dawned on Spades to make a comeback.
Unlike the first game, Spades took the early lead from Valoris with strategic pushes towards the A, B, and C sites of Haven, rendering Valoris helpless in the first few rounds, 0-4.
Even Gado’s ace in the fifth round and Otto’s one-versus-one win in the tenth against Jollibee did not budge Spades’ momentum as they continued scoring one round after another, 2-9.
However, the twelfth round seemed to spell the beginning of an end for Spades as Valoris started to steal away rounds and build the momentum for the second half with successful entries complemented by Gado’s sneaky lurks while playing as Viper, 12-9.
In the twenty-third round, Valoris’ attempt to finish off Spades by equipping four Operators, the most powerful sniper rifle in the game, proved the latter team’s resiliency as their adrenalin-fueled defense blocked off the attack of the former, 12-11.
With Knee Socks clutching one versus two against Jus10’s Omen and Jop’s Brimstone, and LosApollo’s Reyna picking up the pace, Spades managed to bring the game into overtime, 12-12.
In the end, Valoris proved to be the better team, highlighted by Gado’s four killstreaks and a flank that trapped Spades in the final two rounds, 14-12.
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Fuego League is an annual esports tournament held by De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) IGNIS which features various e-games and is usually exclusive to college students. However, this year’s tournament was open to all year levels.
Article by: Ryan Reyes
