MANILA -- GameLab Alpha topped the standings in week 1 of the Valorant Challengers - Philippines 2023 (first split), after sweeping its matches over the weekend.
After the reverse-sweep against Abaddon Abyss, GameLab fended off Sky Empire with a 2-1 win over three tight maps, to end the week’s games undefeated.
After a dominant run by GameLab on the attackers' side of the Pearl map, Sky Empire slowly crept back into the game after the switch through a 6-3 run, to cut the deficit to one, 10-11. GameLab, however, broke away by taking the next two rounds to get on board.
The contest remained tight on Ascent, with Sky Empire giving GameLab a taste of its own medicine to force a sudden death map.
Tied 7-all in Haven, GameLab broke away with a 5-2 run from round 16 to secure the series and hand Sky Empire its second straight defeat.
For the second game in a row, Paul "FallX" Pascual ran away with the series MVP nod after earning an average combat score (ACS) of 256
Meanwhile, Abaddon outgunned puggers on the Pearl (13-9) and Icebox (13-5) maps, to send them on a three-way tie on the bottom standings with Sky Empire and SR Nacague.
John Danlee "exotic" Mag-Aso, who assumed the duelist role, was the seriess MVP after earning an ACS of 260.