During the third day of the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023 LOCK//IN in São Paulo, Talon Esports triumphed over the hometown team MIBR in a decisive 2-0 victory.

Despite losing one of their top players, Partiphan, to wrist surgery in early January, Talon Esports proved once again why they’re renowned for being an underdog team that dominates in international LANs.

Talon Esports faced a significant loss when their key player, Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong, was unable to compete due to wrist surgery. Despite this setback, they beat the local Brazilian team MIBR in a 2-0 victory.

They even had a heartwarming walkout before the match, with each player holding up papers with Patiphan’s face on them to show support. The team had to adjust to the unexpected departure of their star player and made do with a substitute duelist, Apiwat “garnetS” Apiraksukuma.

But even with this obstacle, the team had practised hard and came into the game prepared. According to Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut, the sudden change of plans was a challenge, but they overcame it with a lot of practice.

In Talon Esports’ series against MIBR in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023 LOCK//IN Brazil tournament, garnetS made his international LAN debut, and he did not disappoint. Despite being a rookie, he made some critical plays that helped his team win rounds.

12 rounds for @Talon_esports. #VCTLOCKIN pic.twitter.com/5oA6nUz0Rq

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) February 15, 2023

In contrast, Panyawat “Sushiboys” Subsiriroj, one of the more experienced players on the team, was the best performer across both maps. Playing as Killjoy, he helped Talon Esports eliminate MIBR from the tournament, despite being against the crowd for most of the game.

The crowd even cheered for the Talon team towards the end. Crws, another experienced player, had to take up a new role in the team, becoming the main controller instead of being an initiator. He did well, dominating on Haven as Omen with creative lurks and clutch shots.

Although there was some role-mixing on the team, Talon Esports still managed to emerge victorious.

Another round for @Talon_esports as they build their lead. #VCTLOCKIN

Watch live: https://t.co/io2c23tsMd pic.twitter.com/mKJ1bhlmVj

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) February 15, 2023

Talon Esports has advanced to the next round of the VCT 2023 LOCK//IN tournament, while MIBR had to pack up and go home without a single win. Despite the support of the local fans, MIBR just couldn’t compete with Talon’s international experience.

MIBR’s coach, Matheus “bzkA” Tarasconi, said that the team felt a lot of pressure going into the match, as it was their first international LAN tournament together. However, he still believes that they have a strong roster and coaching staff and that they can win a trophy in the future.