The Guard vs. OpTiC Gaming, A Rivalry is Beginning to Form

As we move onto the playoff stages in Masters Reykjavik, many fans anticipate a thrilling series between the only two North American teams in the tournament, The Guard and OpTiC Gaming. While we have already seen these two teams facing off against each other before, this headliner series is more important than ever as it determines which team will move on to the Semifinals and which team will have to move down to the lower bracket.

As we patiently wait for the series to begin, let us look back at both teams’ journey in North American Challengers 1 and how we got to this Quarterfinal matchup between two American juggernauts.

The Guard

This iteration of The Guard was formed during the offseason of 2022 before Challengers 1 kicked off in North America. Starting with little to no expectations in Challengers 1, especially when competing in a cutthroat region with former World Champions Sentinels and established organizations like Cloud9 and 100 Thieves, the path to the top would not be easy. But the addition of teenage superstar Trent “trent” Cairns and former T1 player, Ha “Sayaplayer” Jeong-woo were the perfect pieces to the puzzle and pushed The Guard to the top of the North American VALORANT scene.

Time to expand the squad ?

Join us in welcoming @trentFPS (formerly known as Habib) to The Guard for Stage 1 of VCT! pic.twitter.com/bGhuRTd3N1

— The Guard (@TheGuard) January 17, 2022

The young core battled through the Open Qualifiers #1 of Challengers 1, only dropping one series against XSET, who would also qualify to the group stages of Challengers 1. They took down some notable North American teams, defeating FaZe Clan 2:1 and Luminosity 2:0 in their path to qualifying for the Closed Group Stage.

The Closed Group Stage of Challengers 1 would be where this squad would prove to the region and the world that they should be in the conversation of the world’s best. Their most notable result was the 2:1 victory against 100 Thieves and their 13:0 dismantling in the 3rd map on Ascent, eventually leading to 100 Thieves’ recent collapse and dramatic roster shuffle during the event. The Guard would place second in their Group, only losing one series against Cloud9.

The playoffs to qualify for Master Reykjavik would be a statement for the international VALORANT scene as they made their mark against all the other  North American teams. The Guard would sweep the heavily favored Sentinels roster 2:0, only dropping seven rounds to two maps, and break down Luminosity 2:0 in the Upper Bracket Semifinals of Challengers 1. The Guard would meet a familiar opponent for the first time, OpTiC Gaming. Their first matchup against each other was not heavily contested, where OpTiC got the best of the young roster and pushed them down to the lower bracket finals.

Faced with a do-or-die best-of-five series against North American hopefuls Cloud9 and only one spot left to qualify for Master Reykjavik, there were many questions about The Guard’s ability to handle pressure. Cloud9 was a roster built with players that had international experience and were also seen by many analysts as the favorites to qualify for the main event. Despite the odds stacked against The Guard, they completed a dominant 3:0 sweep against Cloud9 and locked their spot in Master Reykjavik. All they had to do was to defeat OpTiC Gaming for a better seeding for the main event.

The rematch against two of North America’s best was a thriller. The battle for the North American crown was between a proven, experienced OpTiC roster and a young, hungry, and explosive The Guard roster. After a grueling best-of-five series that lasted five maps and 103 total rounds, The Guard overcame their new rivals and became the new kings of North America.

The insurmountable rise and dominance of this young roster has surprised many and have captured the hearts of many North American fans. No longer the young underdogs of the North American region, The Guard is now the heavy favorite in lifting the title in Master Reykjavik and could be the resurgence of North American dominance in the international VALORANT scene.

OpTiC Gaming

We already had seen this iteration of OpTiC Gaming perform well in the international scene, earning a second-place finish in Masters Berlin 2021 when they were known as Team Envy. While the end of 2021 was not as successful as many North American fans hoped, the roster has remained the same heading into the 2022 season. The team earned automatic qualification into the Closed Group Stage in Challengers 1 and placed second in their group as they headed into the playoffs stage.

OpTiC Gaming made it through to the Grand Finals of Challengers 1, defeating XSET 2:1, Cloud9 2:1, and The Guard 2:0. Their victory against The Guard earned them qualification into Masters Reykjavik, but their loss in the Grand Finals placed them into the Group Stages of the main event.

At Masters Reykjavik, their first matchup was against the second-place SEA team XERXIA Esports. While many analysts and viewers assumed that it would be an easy victory for the North American team, things did not go to plan. OpTiC was embarrassed by the Thais as they got swept 2:0. The team looked dysfunctional and uncoordinated and getting pushed into the elimination bracket scared many fans about how this team would perform.

Things would not get easier for the North Americans, as their first elimination match would be against LATAM favorites KRÜ Esports. The LATAM roster has had a history of upsetting favored teams, but as soon as the series kicked off, OpTiC was in control for most of the match and seemed to return to form as they swept KRÜ Esports 2:0 and moved on to play a rematch against XERXIA.

The rematch against XERXIA was a statement match for OpTiC Gaming, as they officially announced their return to form and erased any sense of doubt about the potential of this team. None of the maps seemed closely contested as the North Americans swept the series 2:0.

Don't peek @yayFPS! @OpTic | #VALORANTMasters pic.twitter.com/H876DMgnX0

— VALORANT Champions Tour NA (@valesports_na) April 13, 2022

The squad led by Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker and Victor “victor” Wong has a lot to prove as we head into the playoff stage of Masters Reykjavik. As they set their sights on claiming their first international trophy, their first opponent is a familiar foe. If they do manage to overcome their new rival, there might be a chance we might see them become North America’s second-ever World Champions.

Predictions between The Guard vs OpTiC Gaming

This will be the third time we get to see these two teams duke it out and try to prove who North America’s best is. While it is unfortunate to see two North American teams playing against each other in the Quarterfinals, expect this to be a great series.

I think this will be going to a third map, where The Guard defeats OpTiC Gaming 2:1.

Yes, this will mean that a North American team will be pushed to the Lower Bracket, but I would not be surprised if these two teams will meet again in Master Reyjavik, whether in the Lower Bracket Finals or the Grand Finals. I believe that these two North American teams have a perfect chance of winning the whole event, and many of the other international teams left will be keeping a close eye on this series.