VALORANT Champions: DRX survive G2’s surge and eliminate NA’s top seed

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DRX defeated G2 Esports 2-1 in the VALORANT Champions lower bracket, advancing with a hard-fought victory. Although they lost the first map, DRX battled back, withstood a strong push from G2 on the second map, and ultimately won the series decisively on Bind.

DRX defeated G2 Esports 2-1 in the lower bracket finals, knocking North America’s top-ranked team out of the VALORANT Champions tournament. This win guarantees DRX will finish in the top 6.

G2 started strong, winning the first map, Lotus, thanks to a great performance from jawgemo. DRX, however, responded well and managed to overcome a strong push from G2 on the second map, Abyss. DRX then dominated the final map, securing the win without much trouble.

jawgemo ferocious on G2 pick Lotus

G2’s Alexander “jawgemo” Mor dominated DRX on the first map, Yuro, and was rightly named MVP. He was incredible, achieving seven triple kills on that single map.

Jawgemo became increasingly confident throughout the match, and by the end, he was boldly taking on multiple DRX players by himself. He achieved four triple-kills in the final five rounds, which helped G2 win the first map.

DRX coach Termi explained after the first map that they’d spent time preparing their defense, and felt they had a good plan, but ultimately lost the round due to their own errors.

We expect to play better on maps two and three. Map one didn’t go our way because G2 chose it, but we’re hoping to improve starting with map two.

DRX lock-in despite G2’s 9-round streak

DRX started strong on the second map, quickly building an 8-1 lead. Although G2 seemed to understand their opponents’ strategies, DRX initially played better. However, G2 quickly turned things around with an impressive seven-round winning streak, including successfully completing the bonus round, and tied the score at 8-8.

Man, G2 is on fire! They just won their eighth round straight in Round 17, and it was valyn with an amazing 3K that stopped DRX from defusing the bomb. Honestly, the way DRX was trying to defuse was kinda messy, and I thought they might get frustrated, but they kept their cool and stayed focused, which was really impressive.

During Round 20, G2’s player Jawgemo unexpectedly lost connection early on, putting his team at a disadvantage. DRX didn’t realize what had happened and quickly took control of the round, ultimately winning it.

Okay, so it would’ve tied things up at 10-10, but Jawgemo had a tech problem and the round got replayed. Seriously though, DRX just wouldn’t budge – they were still super focused and locked in after that!

DRX lost nine games straight – the final three before halftime and the first six after – and it appeared they were completely defeated, according to Evilcat’s post-match comments.

When play resumed, DRX immediately responded with a brilliant play to win the round that viewers felt they had been unfairly denied. This play shifted the momentum in DRX’s favor. They quickly secured the second map with a final score of 13-11, forcing a deciding third game.

G2 sit down… and get eliminated

The first six rounds of the third map on Bind played out just like the previous one, with DRX quickly taking a 5-1 advantage. But unlike before, G2 couldn’t fight back and equalize the score. Their slow beginning ultimately cost them the game.

DRX’s Cho “Flashback” Min-hyuk played exceptionally well, having his strongest round of the series, which unfortunately hurt G2’s chances. DRX dominated Round 11, and by the halfway point, their in-game leader, MaKo, had already secured 17 kills.

DRX started the second half with a strong 10-2 lead, which was a bit ironic considering they’d struggled to finish a game against Fnatic before. This time, though, they secured the win easily. G2 seemed unusually subdued on stage, and the Twitch chat overwhelmingly supported DRX.

I’ve always been a bit of a fan of G2 – they’re famous for their playful trash talk and energy on stage. After we won, I just couldn’t resist! I gave them the bunny ears as a fun little gesture, and honestly, I felt amazing doing it. It was a great match and a really good feeling to come out on top.

What’s next?

DRX now face the loser of NRG versus MIBR in the lower-bracket Round 2 match.

G2 ended their run at VALORANT Champions in 7th-8th place, repeating their result from last year’s tournament in Seoul. This will be disappointing for the team, especially considering they finished second at Masters Bangkok and fourth at Masters Toronto earlier this year.

For many VALORANT fans, this result will do some damage for their VALORANT Champions Pick ‘Ems.

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2025-09-27 20:12