Day 7 of VALORANT Champions 2024 delivered intense action as teams fought for survival in the tournament. In Group B, deemed the “Group of Death,” Sentinels faced FunPlus Phoenix in a do-or-die match, while KRÜ Esports took on BiliBili Gaming in another high-stakes showdown.

Sentinels vs. FunPlus Phoenix

Entering the match, Sentinels were under immense pressure, having lost their opening game to Gen.G and languishing at the bottom of the VALORANT Champions Power Rankings. Their survival in the tournament depended on securing a win against FunPlus Phoenix.

Map 1: Bind – FunPlus Phoenix selected Bind as the first battleground, but Sentinels defied expectations. Their defensive setup, featuring Brimstone, Viper, and Gekko, effectively stifled FunPlus Phoenix’s attempts to plant the spike. Sentinels secured a commanding 9-round lead on defence, ultimately taking the map 13-4, thanks to their tactical use of smokes and mollies to control the map.

Map 2: Lotus – Lotus presented a different challenge, but Sentinels maintained their momentum. Despite FunPlus Phoenix’s efforts to stage a comeback, Sentinels held their ground. The highlight of the match came when Mohamed “johnqt” Amine Ouarid pulled off a stunning 1v2 clutch, securing a 13-5 victory for Sentinels. Zachary “zekken” Patrone shone throughout the series, earning MVP honors with a +15 kill-to-death ratio.

This victory eliminated FunPlus Phoenix from the tournament, while Sentinels advanced to the lower bracket finals, where they will face Gen.G once more in a bid to qualify for the playoffs.

KRÜ Esports vs. BiliBili Gaming

In another thrilling encounter, KRÜ Esports, the perennial VALORANT Champions contenders from Latin America, squared off against China’s BiliBili Gaming, both teams fighting to stay in the tournament.

Map 1: Lotus – The first half of the match saw BiliBili Gaming take a slight 7-5 lead. However, KRÜ turned the tide when they switched to the attacking side, leveraging their initiator-heavy composition to win 7 out of 8 rounds. Their aggressive strategy paid off as they claimed a 13-9 victory on Lotus.

Map 2: Icebox – KRÜ opted for a similar composition in the second game, with Olavo “heat” Marcelo leading the charge as Gekko. His exceptional plays, including three critical spike defusals, contributed significantly to KRÜ’s dominant 13-4 win. With this result, BiliBili Gaming became the second Chinese team to exit VALORANT Champions 2024.

KRÜ Esports now moves on to face Fnatic, a rematch of their 2021 VALORANT Champions clash, where KRÜ emerged victorious. As the tournament progresses, fans are left wondering: will KRÜ repeat history, or will Fnatic rise to the occasion?