All Eight Participants Of VCT Masters Madrid 2024

The first international Valorant event of 2024 is just over the horizon and is set to take place in Madrid, Spain. Eight teams representing four regions will compete for three VCT Points, which will be crucial for qualifying for the main event of the year, VCT Champions. Here are the eight participants of the tournament and how they got there.

Sentinels (Americas #1)

After over 900 days since their last international Valorant tournament, Tyson “TenZ” Ngo and the rest of the squad will represent the Sentinels jersey in Madrid. 

The North American squad had the most demanding journey to qualify for Madrid, losing 0-2 to LOUD in their opening match and going through the Play-ins to have a shot at a ticket to Spain. The road did not end there, as the Sentinels had to defeat NRG, the new superteam, to punch their ticket to Masters.

Three standout players, Zachary “zekken” Patrone, Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, and newly appointed in-game leader Mouhamed “johnqt” Ouarid, are displaying masterclass performances in their respective roles. If the individuals on the Sentinels roster continue this pace, we might see the crowd roaring for the fan favorites.

LOUD (Americas #2)

Despite losing their best player, Erick “aspas” Santos, Matias “Saadhak” Delipetro continues to display why he is a world-class in-game leader and champion. To fill the big shoes aspas left in the team, ex-FURIA player Gabriel “qck” Lima was brought into the lineup.

LOUD dominated the group of death, defeating Sentinels and Leviatan, the squad who fielded aspas. In the Playoffs, the Brazilian squad took down the new Evil Geniuses roster in a close 2-1 series to secure their tickets to Madrid. 

Though they lost to Sentinels in the Grand Final, LOUD still looks like they are in top shape. 19-year-old Felipe “Less” Basso consistently played lights out, posting himself as the second-highest-rated player in the event despite playing the Controller role. 

EDward Gaming (China #1)

You bet that one of the most-hyped Duelists in the world, Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang, also known as KangKang, would not miss the first big event of 2024. EDward Gaming is solidifying its dynasty in the Chinese region, easily grabbing the first regional slot for Masters Madrid.

Being the best team in the country, EDG got a BYE in their Group Stage and only had to win one match to reach the Playoffs. They were tested by a new Wolves Esports roster, but the star duelist could turn up when the team needed him, securing the 2-1 victory.

EDward Gaming continued to defeat Trace Esports in the Semi-Final, which was enough to get them invitations to Madrid. In the Grand Final, they had a few issues against FunPlus Phoenix, who put up a great fight. Still, the favorites could win the series 3-1 and become the kings of China. 

FunPlus Phoenix (China #2)

Chinese organization FunPlus Phoenix had just re-entered Valorant, signing a new roster featuring Qu “Life” Donghao, a Duelist who made a mark in his previous team, Attacking Soul Esports. 

FPX won their opening series against Nova Esports, then beat Trace Esports in a tight three-mapper. After qualifying for the Playoffs, Phoenix took down Dragon Ranger Gaming, a thriving team in the country. 

The new roster put up a great fight against EDG, taking two maps of the Best of 5 series into Overtime and converting their map pick of Icebox to secure one map. Despite the loss, FunPlus Phoenix will still fly to Spain alongside their big brothers at EDward Gaming. 

Karmine Corp (EMEA #1)

The biggest surprise joining the Masters Madrid lineup is Karmine Corp, hailing from the EMEA region, where giants like Natus Vincere and Fnatic reside. Through a miracle run, the French organization overcame all odds, not only securing a spot at Madrid but also winning the entire Kickoff. 

Karmine Corp signed four rookies who had never played in VCT before. Under the helm of former Fnatic player Martin “Magnum” Penkov, the four youngsters not only successfully made their debut in VCT but also made a name for themselves. The player to highlight is Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey, who posted a 1.21 rating and is the second-highest-rated player in the event.

In their journey to glory, Karmine Corp took out FUT, Team Vitality, KOI, and world champions, Fnatic. After taking down the best team of 2023 to reserve their spot at Masters, KC defeated Team Heretics in the Grand Final to win the EMEA Kickoff.

Team Heretics (EMEA #2)

Nobody predicted Karmine Corp’s victory, and Team Heretics were in a similar position prior to the Kickoff tournament. Though Team Heretics had established names such as the “Boo” brothers, the roster was yet to make its mark in the Tier 1 Valorant scene – until this event.

Like Karmine Corp, Team Heretics had a treacherous route, upsetting Mehmet “cNed” İpek’s squad, FUT, in the first round. The squad defeated Karmine Corp in the Group Stage final to qualify for the Playoffs. To secure top 2 and an invitation to Madrid, Team Heretics defeated the championship roster of Natus Vincere in a convincing 2-0. 

The younger brother, Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius, was the team’s top performer, tailing behind n4rrate with a 1.19 rating. The 18-year-old Duelist performed exceptionally well on Neon, Raze, and Yoru. 

Gen.G Esports (Pacific #1)

Another region that featured an unexpected first-place finisher is the Asia Pacific region. Coming into Kickoff, nearly every fan expected DRX and Paper Rex to be the two teams to carry the torch for Asia. However, Gen.G Duelist Kim “t3xture” Na-ra had something to say.

Similar to Sentinels, Gen.G had to qualify for the Playoffs the hard way. The South Korean squad was, unfortunately, placed in a group with Paper Rex, losing to the Singapore-Malaysian organization 1-2 in the Group Stage Winner’s Match.

Gen.G had to battle through the Play-ins, eliminating Team Secret and ZETA Division in the process. In the Playoffs, Gen.G emerged victorious in the South Korean derby against DRX, claiming one of two Masters Madrid spots in the Pacific region. Riding their momentum, Gen.G ended up winning the entire event after getting their revenge on Paper Rex 3-1 in the Grand Final. 

Paper Rex (Pacific #2)

This should not have come as a surprise, but Paper Rex, despite the departure of Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie, could still finish within the top two teams in the region. Paper Rex, being the top team in the Pacific region, received a BYE in the Group Stage.

After making it to the Playoffs, Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto was matched against his elder brother, Kevin “xccurate” Susanto, and T1. Unfortunately, there was not enough room for both brothers to make it through, as the younger came out on top in the matchup.

Though Paper Rex lost the Grand Final match against Gen.G, they will still make an appearance at Masters Madrid. The squad still needs time to integrate their newest recruit, Cahya “Monyet” Nugraha, before they can contend for titles. Will the break between Kickoff and Masters be enough time?

The VCT Masters Madrid event will be held in Spain, begin on the 14th of March, and end on the 24th. 

Header: Paper Rex