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Esports
5 of our favourite moments from Red Bull Home Ground 2023
The prestigious VALORANT gaming tournament saw UK organisation Fnatic emerge victorious amid a weekend of high-intensity matches in Tokyo, Japan – get all the info here.
Some of the top teams in the VALORANT pro scene met in Tokyo, Japan, for a series of high-intensity matches across a variety of maps. This unique tournament is intended to test the strength and versatility of the competing teams, allowing the most adaptable roster to emerge victorious.
This year's tournament certainly didn't disappoint. Over three days, six of the most accomplished teams battled it out, with the UK-based organisation Fnatic coming out on top as the overall winner. This was Fnatic's second top-tier win in Tokyo, following their first-place finish at VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo back in June. Before we could get to the epic grand final, though, there were plenty of nail-biting moments that got audiences excited throughout the event. Here are a few that stood out to us.
01
DRX stuns SCARZ with clutch kills
Kim ‘stax’ Gu-taek showed his skills
© Stephanie Lindgren/Red Bull Content Pool
On Day 1, teams were invited to prove why they deserved a place at this prestigious tournament, and South Korean squad DRX certainly relished the opportunity. Their performance in the early game against SCARZ was a real masterclass, especially in the later rounds, when Yu 'BuZz' Byung-chul popped off using Jett, leading to a flawless finish. Haven set the scene for what looked like a close game on paper, but it was the individual performances that really made DRX shine against their competition.
02
FUT become dark horses with strong opening
Yetujey had something to prove
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
After failing to make an impression at last year’s Red Bull Home Ground tournament, Turkish team FUT Esports came to Tokyo with something to prove this year, especially after emerging from the EMEA Qualifier. The squad immediately gained dark horse status on Day 1, with a dominant 13-3 win over NA’s 100 Thieves, last year’s Red Bull Home Ground winner.
Eray ‘Yetujey’ Budak showed his strength for FUT, leading the team with 18 kills throughout the game. Their second game against DRX similarly went in their favour 13-8, placing them at the top of the Group Stage table, making them look like strong favourites heading straight into the semifinals of the knockout stage.
03
OXY is a breath of fresh air
OXY lifted up Cloud9
© Stephanie Lindgren/Red Bull Content Pool
American juggernauts Cloud9 proved they were still top dogs at Red Bull Home Ground 2023, taking down FUT 2:1 to secure their place in the grand final. Francis 'OXY' Hoang emerged as the standout star in the Cloud9 camp, putting up some formidable numbers as the squad's primary damage-dealer.
On Day 3, OXY was rated the top of the pack, with an average combat score of 286.9, the highest of any player in the tournament – as well as boasting the highest average number of kills per map.
04
Fnatic dispatches DRX
On their journey to the grand finals, DRX posed a major obstacle to Fnatic. It was a hard-fought tie throughout, but there were a few standout moments that made it clear that the semifinal game belonged to Fnatic. Round 7 on Ascent saw some immaculate cooperation between Nikita 'Derke' Sirmitev and Leo 'Leo' Jannesson to defuse the spike.
In-game leader Jake 'Boaster' Howlett lived up to his reputation as a consummate entertainer, displaying his unique personality with plenty of hilarious dances but, most importantly, backing it up with outstanding plays, leading Fnatic to a landslide win on both maps.
05
Fnatic defeats Cloud9 to take trophy
Fnatic emerged victorious
© Stephanie Lindgren/Red Bull Content Pool
Of course, the most impactful moment of Red Bull Home Ground 2023 was when Fnatic defeated their North American rivals in the final clash of the weekend. The 3-2 victory saw Fnatic come back from a 2-1 deficit, taking apart their enemies on Lotus to level the playing field. The final map was played on Haven and was arguably Fnatic's finest hour, as they roared to a dominant lead, finishing the round 13-5.
Fnatic triumphantly lifted the trophy, their second title win in Tokyo, declaring on Twitter, "This is our city!". Cloud9 deserves plenty of props for their admirable performance as well, especially considering that they were playing with a stand-in during this five-game thriller.
The explosive win for Fnatic was the perfect send-off for a weekend of thrilling matches at the legendary Ryogoku Kokugikan arena. With another title under their belts this year, the squad have once again confirmed their status as one of the top VALORANT teams.
