The Swiss Stage in Valorant Masters Toronto keep going with surprises and intense matchups, and now two teams, Sentinels and Gen.G Esports, have booked their seats in the playoffs. While Sentinels was pushed to the limits by Bilibili Gaming, Gen.G did not waste much time and got a clean sweep over Paper Rex, in a series that was expected to be closer.
Sentinels Survived Hard Fight Against BLG
Sentinels are the first team to go through the Swiss Stage, and they did it with two victories—the first one was against Wolves Esports, which was quite smooth, and then against BLG, where things didn’t go as easily.
The match with Wolves was mostly under control. Sentinels looked like a well-oiled team, winning on Split (13-11) and Lotus (13-8). There were a few hiccups, especially on Split, but they closed it out quite comfortably without real panic.
But Bilibili Gaming didn’t allow such comfort. They took the first map on Icebox, 13-9, with whzy and rushia making some huge impact. Sentinels seemed a little off in the beginning, and BLG played confident Valorant. By the half it was already 8-4, and after Levius won the pistol, it was hard for Sentinels to catch up.
Things flipped on Sunset. Even though it was their first time playing this map in a long time, Sentinels dominated it, 13-5. zekken really came to life here, playing Neon this time after being quiet on Icebox with Omen. That spark helped Sentinels equalize the series.
It all came down to Lotus, and both teams exchanged early rounds. Levius again clutched a pistol round with only a Ghost, and whzy kept the pressure with the Operator. BLG went into the half up 7-5. But on their defense, Sentinels was on another level. zekken, now using Raze, delivered a fantastic half. His rating climbed to 2.05, and they finished the map 13-9 to win the whole series.
zekken clearly the MVP here, finishing with 264 ACS. But whzy also had some good moments, especially that 4K on Lotus. Still, Sentinels had more firepower when it mattered and never let go of the lead once they got it.
This victory feels like redemption for Sentinels after how things went for them in the past Masters. They now are in the playoffs, together with G2 Esports, making both from Americas region the first to qualify. It’s worth noting though, G2 is yet to play under the new meta after Tejo nerfs—many eyes will be on how they adapt.
Before the match, Sentinels IGL johnqt said to BLG, “Sorry you drew us.” At the time, it sounded too confident, but in the end, he wasn’t wrong. BLG gave a tough fight, but not enough when pressure was highest.
Now BLG only have one more chance. If they lose their next match, they’re going home.
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Gen.G Makes a Statement Over Paper Rex
Gen.G and Paper Rex faced off again, the ninth time these Pacific rivals have played, but this one ended clearly in favor of Gen.G. It was a strong 2-0 win that pushes them into the playoffs, while Paper Rex now drops to the lower Swiss bracket.
On Ascent, which Gen.G picked, they came out with solid ideas. Their attack side was methodical and their aim very clean. Paper Rex looked lost in the first half, and even though they picked up rounds later and nearly forced overtime, it was a cheap half-buy from Gen.G that ended their hopes at 13-11.
Then came Icebox, and things got one-sided fast. This was Paper Rex’s choice, but they got shut down hard. Gen.G’s defense just did not let them play their usual aggressive style. After going up 9-3, Gen.G quickly finished the job with a 13-3 score.
The one who stood out the most was Kim “t3xture” Na-ra. Playing Jett, he was the key difference-maker, ending with 45 kills and 296 ACS across both maps. His entries and multi-kill rounds made the game look easy sometimes.
What’s Coming Next?
With two teams already locked for playoffs—Sentinels and Gen.G—the rest of the squads are now fighting for survival. Both Paper Rex and Bilibili Gaming now have one more chance in the Swiss Stage. They must win their third-round match on June 11th or they’re eliminated.
Before that, Day 4 will decide who else stays in the race:
- Team Heretics vs Wolves Esports
- Team Liquid vs MIBR
These matches are eliminations, and their results will also shape the last round of the Swiss Stage. Fans can follow along on the official Valorant YouTube and Twitch channels.
