EMEA representative Virtus.pro has won the Marvel Rivals Ignite Grand Finals at DreamHack Atlanta.
The team defeated Natus Vincere (NAVI) 4-1 in the final showdown of the competition, taking home $320,000 (~£243,480) in winnings.
What Happened in the Playoffs?
Following the results of the Group Stage, eight teams went head-to-head in a double-bracket elimination format for a place in the tournament’s Grand Finals.
REJECT and DarkZero were amongst the first teams to be eliminated after losing in the Lower Brackets. Citadel Gaming and ChopperMag were next to follow after being defeated in the Quarterfinals.
The Lower Bracket Semi-finals saw NAVI defeat Ignite Stage 2 Americas champion, 100 Thieves, in a landslide 3-1 victory. The EMEA team then followed with a 3-1 win against FlyQuest in the Upper Bracket Finals to face off against Virtus.pro in the Grand Finals.
Virtus.pro Takes Home Gold
Ahead of the Grand Finals, Virtus.pro had established itself as one of the favourites to win based on its performance. It topped its respective group in the Group Stage with a 5-0 win/loss ratio, and continued its rampage in the Playoffs.
Virtus.pro and NAVI faced off once before in the Playoffs, where the Ignite Stage 2 EMEA champion won 2-0 against Natus Vincere. After clawing its way through the Lower Brackets, NAVI were hungry for revenge. However, Vitus.pro proved to be the stronger team in the end.
Here is the full breakdown of the Grand Finals match between Virtus.pro (VP) and NAVI:
- Game one: VP 2-0 NAVI – Hell’s Heaven, Domination.
- Game two: VP 2-1 NAVI – Spider-Islands, Convoy.
- Game three: VP 1-0 NAVI – Hall of Djalia, Domination.
- Game four: VP 0-2 NAVI – Birnin T’Challa, Domination.
- Game five: VP 3-1 NAVI – Midtown, Convoy.
- Final Score: VP 4-1 NAVI.
It is the ultimate comeback story for Virtus.pro and its Marvel Rivals esports journey, having previously missed out on the Mid-Season Finals by losing in Ignite Stage 1 EMEA. After hoisting the trophy in DreamHack Atlanta, it has finally proven itself to be the best team in the scene.
What’s Next?
The Ignite Grand Finals conclude the first season of Marvel Rivals esports after several months of competitive play. It remains to be seen whether Ignite will return next year for another series of tournaments.
Fans itching for more esports in Marvel Rivals can still look forward to the Seasonal Championships, with the next open-bracket event scheduled to take place during Season 4: Heart of the Dragon.
