Cicadas Gaming and La Masia successfully retained their positions in the VCL France during the Up&Down tournament, competing against various teams from the French tier 2. Cicadas secured their spot with impressive victories, while La Masia faced a challenging journey but managed to overcome multiple opponents. The second split of the VCL France will feature a similar format, including a seeding phase and playoffs, as teams aim for dominance and improvement following their previous performances.
Up&Down: Cicadas Rise Again, New Competitors Enter the League
Following their playoff defeats against Siko Esports and KCBS in a best-of-five format, Cicadas Gaming and Zerance found themselves in a battle to retain their position in the VCL France during the Up&Down tournament!
This exciting mini-tournament showcased six teams, with four hailing from the French tier 2. La Masia (the academic team of DVM), Lyost Esport, EvozA Esport, and Antic ESC all competed for a coveted spot in the second split of the French Valorant league.
Through a series of intense best-of-three and best-of-five matches, Cicadas Gaming successfully defended their spot in the VCL France. They achieved a hard-fought victory against La Masia with a 2-0 scoreline (13-7, 15-13) and followed it up with a decisive 3-0 win (13-5, 13-9, 13-4) over Zerance. This triumph marked Cicadas’ return to the upper echelons of French Valorant. Notably, their new player, Kajuks, made waves by being named MVP in both matches! With this promising addition, fans are hopeful that Cicadas can build on this momentum for improved performance in the VCL France!
For La Masia, the journey was considerably tougher! The team, under the guidance of iDex, faced all other competitors in the tournament to reach the pinnacle of French Valorant. Before succumbing to Cicadas, La Masia secured a win against EvozA Esport. Post their loss, they went through two best-of-threes and a best-of-five, defeating Antic ESC, Lyost Esport, and ultimately Zerance. Their Bo5 match against Zerance concluded dramatically on the final map, encapsulating a tense showdown between the two teams.
Starting next Saturday, both Cicadas and La Masia will be among the eight teams competing in split 2 of the VCL France!
It’s important to note that La Masia will no longer compete as DVM’s academic team due to conflicts of interest. We will provide updates regarding the future of these players next Friday, which is the deadline for teams to finalize their rosters for the upcoming split!
Upcoming Changes in Split 2 Format
The format for split 2 remains largely similar to the first. The top two teams from the previous split (Joblife and Mandatory) will select the teams forming their groups (A and B) in a draft-style setup.
Following this, a traditional group stage will be held where all teams compete in best-of-three matches (single round, no rematches). Just like in split 1, the top team from each group will qualify directly for the semi-finals, the second-place team for the quarter-finals, while the bottom two teams must enter the Play-In. The losers of these Play-In matches (best-of-five) will need to defend their positions during the Up&Downs that follow the conclusion of split 2. Winning teams will progress to the quarter-finals.
A new feature in the format will be the seeding phase conducted in best-of-one matches! On April 8, the top eight teams of the VCL France will take the stage during the Challenger’s Day at the arenas of Évry-Courcouronnes. In front of enthusiastic fans, teams will compete to determine their seeding for the playoffs and the Up&Downs. For instance, the top two teams from each group will battle for the top seed for the playoffs, with the losing team still qualifying as the second seed for the semi-finals.
This structure will be repeated for the lower placements (the two second-place teams will face off, followed by the two third-place teams, and so forth). The same applies to teams entering Up&Down, as seeding is vital, offering a potential advantage against weaker opponents during map selection (the pick and ban phase).
As for the playoffs, the format remains unchanged, with all matches conducted in a best-of-five format. The same number of teams will qualify for Challengers EMEA (the two finalists), and the same allocation of Ascension points will be awarded (3 points for the split 2 winner, 2 points for the runner-up, and 1 point for the semi-finalists).
JL, MDR, DVM, KCBS: Unique Narratives, Shared Objective: Victory
- Joblife: Aim to Overcome EMEA Challenger Setbacks and Establish Dominance in France.
It’s clear from the title. After achieving an impressive three consecutive titles at the national level, Joblife was expected to be a strong contender during the first EMEA Challengers of the year. Unfortunately, the results were disappointing; the team struggled to perform and was eliminated in the group stage without showcasing their true potential. Following this setback, we can anticipate a driven JL eager to reclaim their status after an unsatisfactory international outing. They are highly motivated and are targeting their fourth consecutive victory in the French league!
- Mandatory: Solidify their Split 1 Performance and Capture Their First Title.
After a solid debut in split 1, Mandatory delivered a commendable performance at the EMEA Challengers, finishing strong with a second and third place in the two tournaments. They are now focused on converting their momentum into a title win in the upcoming split!