The opening day of VALORANT Masters Toronto didn’t go as hoped for the EMEA region. Both Team Liquid and Team Heretics dropped their first matches in the Swiss Stage, leaving fans from the region let down. On to the other side, teams from the Chinese and Pacific circuits kicked things off with convincing wins with solid gameplay and teamwork.
Image Credits: Riot Games
Paper Rex Sweep Heretics with Emphatic Display
Paper Rex, who are representing the Pacific region, kicked off their tournament run with a commanding 2–0 win against Team Heretics. The best-of-three matchup showed the Southeast Asian side putting on a sharp and forceful performance on both Pearl and Icebox, showing off their usual aggressive playstyle and tight mechanical execution.
Image Credits: Riot Games
Pearl looked completely one-sided from start to finish. Paper Rex’s fast-paced play and solid teamwork just tore through Heretics without much effort, ending the map at a brutal 13–1. f0rsakeN stood out with his control on Astra, while Jinggg kept constant pressure on Raze, breaking apart the EMEA team’s defense line. It wasn’t just a win—it felt more like a statement, setting PRX ahead with strong confidence right from the start.
Icebox turned out to be a bit closer, with Heretics managing to grab a 7–5 lead by halftime. But PRX didn’t panic—they switched to attack with calm and executed their game plan cleanly. Big plays came through from d4v41 and PatMen, helping to flip the script and seal the map 13–9, finishing the sweep. One detail not to overlook—PRX took every pistol round on both maps, showing they were locked in and ready.
Bilibili Gaming Outlasts Team Liquid in Back-and-Forth Series
Later in the day, it was Bilibili Gaming from China’s VCT taking on EMEA’s Team Liquid, with the series going the distance over three tightly contested maps. Even though they were missing their IGL Ayaz ‘nAts’ Akhmetshin, Liquid still managed to hang in there, with Erik ‘penny’ Penny stepping up as a stand-in.
Image Credits: Riot Games
Things kicked off on Icebox, where Liquid experimented with a triple-controller comp that helped them a bit on attack. But once the sides switched, it didn’t hold up defensively. Bilibili punished them with sharp aggression and steady fragging—especially whz on Jett—grabbing the opener 13–10.
Haven has brought a shift in momentum. Liquid changed gears with a double-duelist setup and came out swinging. Penny was a standout here, dropping 30 kills on Phoenix and dragging Liquid through a tough overtime win, 16–14. That tied the series and gave some hope.
The decider on Sunset was close throughout. Both teams traded blows, but Bilibili stayed calmer when it counted. Even with penny and Serial making strong efforts, Liquid just couldn’t stop BLG’s offense late game. The Chinese side closed it out 13–10, taking the series 2–1.
It was a hard-fought win that showed off the depth of the Chinese region, while for Team Liquid, things just got more difficult—they’ll now have to fight their way through the lower bracket.
What’s Ahead in the Swiss Format – VALORANT Masters Toronto
Now we have the second day of the Swiss Stage to look forward to. Matches on June 8 wil feature four more teams on stage. North America’s Sentinels will go toe-to-toe with Wolves Esports from China. The following match-up is between Gen.G (Pacific) and MIBR (Americas).
BLG and Paper Rex now move ahead into the winner’s bracket. Their next games are set for June 9. On the flip side, June 10 will see team Liquid and Heretics drop into the elimination bracket and will fight to stay alive. Matchups for those elimination games are yet to be confirmed.
Early Games Hint at Changing Power Dynamics
Just one day in, the balance of power already seems to be shifting. EMEA’s top squads were outpaced and outplayed, while China and Pacific looked better drilled and more daring. With creative agent picks and relentless pacing, both BLG and PRX are looking like real contenders.
For Liquid and Heretics, the pressure is now on. They’ll need to regroup fast or risk an early exit. Meanwhile, Bilibili and Paper Rex have made their intentions clear—they’re aiming for the championship.
Fans can catch all the remaining action on the official VALORANT broadcasts on Twitch and YouTube as Masters Toronto continues. There’s bound to be more drama in store.
