G2 Gozen are the 2022 VCT Game Changers World Champions
On Sunday, the Europe/Middle East/Africa region’s G2 Gozen became the very first VCT Game Changers World Champions after they managed a reverse sweep against North America’s Shopify Rebellion.
G2 Gozen had a perfect run through the upper bracket to the tournament’s Grand Finals, defeating Thailand’s X10 Sapphire, North America’s Cloud9 White, and Brazil’s Team Liquid. They were technically EMEA’s second seed in the Championships, after losing the EMEA Game Changers Series III finals to their long-time regional rivals, Guild X.
Unfortunately for both Guild X and Cloud9 White, this tournament was unkind to the first seeds from every region in the end. Guild X were knocked into the lower bracket by North America’s perpetual second-place team, Shopify Rebellion. Their eternal rivals, Cloud9 White, fell to the lower bracket thanks to G2 Gozen.
Though Shopify also ended up in the lower bracket thanks to Team Liquid, they made an impressive run to reach the Grand Finals. They tore through X10 Sapphire to face off against their destined rivals, Cloud9 White. Fully cementing their title as this tournament’s LANimals, Shopify beat Cloud9 White in front of a live audience, keeping their tournament lives intact while ending those of their rivals. They played Team Liquid in the lower bracket finals, where they were able to get their revenge and advance to the Grand Finals against G2.
Shopify Rebellion kept their monstrous form in the first two maps, steamrolling G2 and making it seem like the Grand Finals would be a short, three-map affair. But on the third map, EMEA’s second seed finally woke up and they were able to wrench control of the series away from Shopify. Looking completely revitalized, G2 Gozen managed to take the final three maps with a significant round difference on each, completely halting SR in their tracks.
While G2 Gozen made good on predictions that they would be the best in the world, Shopify Rebellion went further than anyone expected, proving that, at least on LAN, they are the North American team to watch out for.
About The Author
