EDward Gaming (EDG) has won the Valorant Champions 2024 trophy, beating Team Heretics by 3-2.
The Chinese giants, EDward Gaming (EDG), finally grabbed their first world title in Valorant Champions 2024. The tournament was held at the INSPIRE Arena in Incheon, South Korea, and the way EDG won was quite fun to watch. In a nail-biting best-of-five series, they outplayed Team Heretics to win the championship and a grand prize of $1 million.
This victory is huge for China’s Valorant scene, especially since this was the first year the country had its own official regional league in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). In previous years, EDG didn’t perform as well, finishing 13th-16th in 2022 and 5th-6th in 2023. But this time, they surprised everyone by going from underdogs to true championship contenders, showing how much they’ve grown as a team.
Valorant Champions 2024 Finals: EDG and Heretics’s Performace
EDG's journey to the VCT 2024 grand finals was tough and full of challenges. They started strong in Group D with a clean win against FUT Esports but stumbled in the Winners Match, losing to G2 Esports. However, they did not give up and fought back hard to secure a crucial 2-1 win against Paper Rex in the Group D Decider Match, earning their spot in the playoffs.
In the playoffs, EDG showed their true strength. They first dominated their fellow Chinese team, Trace Esports, and then defeated Sentinels and Leviatán to reach the grand finals.
Team Heretics had an equally impressive run in the tournament. They dominated Group B and confidently moved into the playoffs. In the upper bracket quarterfinals, they defeated Fnatic, but their momentum was broken down by Leviatán, who handed them a 0-2 defeat. Sent down to the lower bracket, Heretics came back stronger, defeating DRX and Sentinels. In the lower bracket finals, they got their rematch against Leviatán and came out on top, earning their spot in the grand finals against EDG.
THE 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONS OF VALORANT! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/VwcuXpB3uL
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 25, 2024
Valorant Champions 2024 Finals Maps and Matches
The grand finals started on Haven, where Team Heretics came out strong, taking the first map 13-6. Their dominant performance gave them an early lead in the series. But EDG quickly answered back on the second map, Sunset, with a crushing 13-4 victory, leveling the series at 1-1.
The third map, Lotus, was a tight battle as both teams fought hard for control. EDG managed to defeat Heretics by 13-9, putting them just one map away from the championship. However, Heretics, not ready to give up, fought back on Bind, winning 13-11 and forcing a decisive fifth map.
The final match took place on Abyss. EDG came out strong, building a strong 8-4 lead by halftime. Although Heretics tried to stage a comeback, EDG stayed composed and finished the series with a 13-9 win, winning the Valorant Champions 2024 title.
Valorant Champions 2024 MVP
EDG’s Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang earned the MVP title for the VCT 2024 grand finals, getting an impressive 111 kills throughout the series. His stellar performance, highlighted by two Aces, played a key role in securing EDG’s victory. Other players like Wan “CHICHOO” Shunzhi and Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao also gave strong performances, helping their team claim this hard-earned win.
This moment means everything to @zmjjkk! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/cugTV74PzI
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 25, 2024
Overall, with this victory, EDward Gaming not only took home the $1 million prize but also made their place in Valorant history.