Kr1stal will play Ascension for the second time within a season, something that has yet to be done by any other player in any region.
RUSSIA – Savva “Kr1stal” Fedorov is set to compete in the upcoming VCT Ascension CN tournament for what will be his second participation in Ascension-level competition during the 2023 season. Teaming up with Night Wings Gaming, the former SCARZ in-game leader is scheduled to face off against Ninjas in Pyjamas in their opening group stage match on Saturday at 12 PM SGT.
It’s a rather uncommon scenario for someone to compete at such a high level twice in one season, but Kr1stal has managed to do just that. Earlier in the season, the 20-year-old was part of Japan’s SCARZ and participated in the Challengers Japan circuit where he secured a victory in VCL Japan Split 2. That particular win granted qualification for him and the team to represent the JP region in the Ascension tournament held in Bangkok, Thailand.
There, they contested against nine other teams each representing their respective regions, all striving for the coveted two-year promotion slot into the VCT Pacific League, which stands as the tier-one circuit within the region.
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During the Thailand event, Kr1stal’s performance (averaging 1.14 VLR rating) alongside his Russian teammate, Maksim “Jemkin” Batorov, caught the public’s attention, as SCARZ finished second in the Ascension competition, narrowly missing out on the championship against Bleed Esports. While Jemkin moved to VCT Pacific’s RRQ after the tournament, Kr1stal stayed with the team for a while before eventually joining Night Wings Gaming from China.
Given China’s late inclusion into the VCT, where the announcement of the ten partnered teams for VCT CN came just this month, the region is set to host an Ascension tournament to determine an additional team to join the established ten for the next two seasons. Night Wings Gaming managed to gather enough points during the China Evolution Series competition, earning them a spot in the Ascension CN event alongside seven other teams including heavy favorites Rare Atom, and Attacking Soul Esports, among others.
That also means that Kr1stal will play Ascension for the second time within a season, something that has yet to be done by any other player in any region. However, it’s confirmed that his tenure with Night Wings Gaming will conclude after the VCT Ascension CN tournament, leaving him as a free agent once again.
Night Wings Gaming find themselves grouped with strong contenders Rare Atom, along with Ninjas in Pyjamas and lowest-ranked side KeepBest Gaming. The eleventh VCT CN team will be decided this Sunday following the conclusion of the best-of-five grand final held in Shanghai, China.
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
