An electric atmosphere and deafening support from fans from the MENA Region was the soundtrack to a thrilling spectacle as Team Heretics staged a stunning comeback to defeat team FNATIC in the first Valorant Championship at the Esports World Cup.
In a reverse sweep, coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2, the STC Arena was a cauldron of noise as Team Heretics made Esports World Cup history, becoming the first Champions in Valorant.
“I have to thank everyone who supported us, the fans, it was a massive boost and it was an amazing feeling to hear them reacting while we were in play,” explained Enes “RieNs” Ecirli.
“Between maps, the intense energy from the opposing fans genuinely fueled my competitive drive, pushing me to find an extra gear and show them that we were better. When we won the championship, it was even sweeter, as we overcame some adversity from the opposing fans. The atmosphere was amazing, and it’s always fun to have huge support and to hear the opposing fans, too.”
After losing their opening match of the competition against team NRG, Team Heretics went on an incredible streak, first reverse-sweeping Titan Esports Club in the elimination match, before defeating team Rex Regum Qeon, team BBL Esports and team Gen.G Esports on their run to the final.
Team FNATIC were in full control early in the Grand Final, taking a 2-0 series lead and moving within touching distance of the win. From that point on, everything changed. Team Heretics staged a dramatic comeback to win the series 3-2 and become the first ever Valorant champions at the Esports World Cup.
“This has been a long time coming, we’ve had some really rough times, even in this tournament, when we lost to NRG.” said Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish.
“As a team we had to have some intense conversations and re-evaluate, this is when our coaches and team truly shone. We truly are a family and those challenging discussions were absolutely vital to our victory.”
Team Heretics players Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius, Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish, Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius, Enes “RieNs” Ecirli, and Mert “Wo0t” Alkan, overcame 16 other clubs to win a prize of $500,000 and 1,000 Championship points, placing them joint-first of the Club Championship table alongside Team Redline and team DetonatioN FocusMe.
Mert “Wo0t” Alkan was also named as the MVP of the tournament, earning a $10,000 for his standout performances.
“It feels great. We’ve come through so many difficulties and have had to have some very hard talks.” said Mert “Wo0t” Alkan.
“I think we really deserve this win, it’s been earned, not just today but through our efforts across multiple competitions, before becoming champions here. It’s hard to keep going when coming so close so many times, but with this win and so many second-place finishes, we’ve demonstrated that we are one the best, and most consistent teams in the world.”
