DRX defeated FPX tonight in the lower bracket of VALORANT Champions 2022 in a highly anticipated rematch, and it finished on Haven in an incredible fashion.

Early on, when FPX chose Icebox, DRX appeared ready to dominate. When the full buy rounds began, DRX quickly achieved success on attack even without a duelist, particularly on the A site, thanks to well-timed executions that crushed the FPX defense. Prior to entering their own offensive side, FPX tightened up their defense at the conclusion of the first half, making several crucial shots but falling behind 7-5 overall.

In order to kick off their second half, FPX won their second consecutive pistol round. They then really picked up steam with an almost faultless bonus round victory that allowed them to enter the A site essentially unopposed. Even though FPX cleaned up their post-plants to take a 10-8 lead and force a DRX timeout, DRX managed to quickly recover with a recapture on B using just pistols. In that timeout, DRX came up with the solutions they need to tie the map at 11-11, and they later seized the lead with a perfectly timed Fade ultimate that utterly derailed FPX’s B execution. Then, Icebox was taken hostage by DRX 13-11 after he survived two distinct FPX ultimates and held off an A execute.

FPX performed admirably on Haven with a great defensive side despite the setback on Icebox. Due to the usefulness of his unexpected Viper selection and his own personal ability to get frags, SUYGETSU was the impact player for FPX. After a far superior defensive effort than Icebox, FPX led 9-3 at the break.

DRX, however, didn’t appear to be interested in allowing the series to proceed to three maps, winning the first three defensive side rounds, including the bonus, to compel an FPX timeout. DRX proceeded to execute fantastic retakes to whittle down the FPX advantage even after a timeout and despite some exceptional post-plant setups from FPX, winning six consecutive to draw the map at 9-9. With a faultless defensive half, DRX quickly gained the lead and never looked back, winning the map 13-9 and the series 2-0.

It’s a disappointing outcome for FPX because they lost the chance to win the trophy again and ended up being another casualty of the famed 9-3 curse. The remarkable run of DRX, a team that has consistently failed at international competitions, now shifts to OpTic, a squad that has had their number all year.