The playoff matchups for VALORANT Masters Toronto have been decided after the Swiss stage wrapped up. Sentinels, Wolves Esports, Gen.G, and Paper Rex made it through, while the top-seeded teams from each region were given the chance to choose who they’ll face first. It created some risky choices and also a few familiar rivalries popping up again.
Xi Lai Gaming (XLG), winners of China Stage 1, got to pick first, even though this is their very first international VCT tournament. Instead of taking a safer bet, they picked Sentinels, probably the most threatening team from the Swiss batch. Coach Aleksandr ‘hvoya’ Eremin said it straight: “Fans wanna see this, XLG vs Sentinels is gonna be a good show.”
Strategic Picks and Some Déjà Vu
RRQ was the next in line, and rather than going against another Pacific team, they went with Wolves Esports. Then came G2 Esports, which had to decide between Gen.G and Paper Rex. Knowing how powerful Gen.G has looked recently, G2 picked Paper Rex instead.
That left Fnatic to face Gen.G, again mirroring last year’s first playoff round in Shanghai.
“It’s like it’s meant to be,” said Milan ‘Milan’ de Meij of Fnatic. “But this time, we are not the same team.”
Playoff Schedule
| Match | Date & Time |
|---|---|
| G2 Esports vs Paper Rex | June 13, 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT / 4 PM GMT |
| Xi Lai Gaming vs Sentinels | June 13, 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT / 7 PM GMT |
| RRQ vs Wolves Esports | June 14, 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT / 4 PM GMT |
| Fnatic vs Gen.G Esports | June 14, 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT / 7 PM GMT |
Every match will be shown live on VCT’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
Image Credits: Riot Games
Paper Rex Survives Liquid’s Comeback Scare
Paper Rex claimed the final playoff spot after a shaky but thrilling 2-1 victory over Team Liquid. What seemed like an easy win turned into a full-on rollercoaster ride.
Split started off good for Paper Rex, building a 12-8 lead. But Liquid refused to fall. An ace from Keiko forced overtime, and the map flipped to Liquid 15-13.
On Sunset, though, Paper Rex turned dominant again. With Sage back in the lineup, they breezed through defense to win it 13-5 and even the series.
The decider map, Lotus, looked one-sided early. Paper Rex went up 11-1, then reached 12-3. Match point felt done. But Liquid wasn’t done yet. kamo and penny led the charge as Liquid brought it all the way to 12-12.
Coach Alecks admitted they lost focus: “We were having fun and trying to end it fast, then it stopped being fun.”
After calling a timeout, Paper Rex pulled themselves back together, finally finishing it 14-12.
They’ll now take on G2 Esports in the playoffs—a team that’s beaten them twice already this year at Shanghai and Champions.
