VCT Masters Shanghai Playoffs Day 1 Predictions

The top eight teams at VCT Masters Shanghai 2024 will participate in a double-elimination bracket to win the second international Valorant event of the year. Here are Fragster’s predictions on the first round of matches.

We will expect to watch the following matchups on the first day:

• 100 Thieves vs. FUT Esports
• Fnatic vs. Gen.G

100 Thieves vs. FUT Esports

FUT Esports came into the EMEA Stage 1 tournament as one of the favorites, but had a rough ending and could only manage third place. Meanwhile, 100 Thieves did the opposite. Everyone had written them off, but they somehow won the entire Americas Stage 1 event.

Since the North American squad was the first seed of their region, we have not seen them play a match in VCT Masters Shanghai yet. Overall, the 100 Thieves roster is filled with players who have had on-stage experience, but every member except for Boostio had not played in an international tournament for over a year. We might see 100 Thieves crack under pressure.

FUT Esports had played three matches in the Swiss Stage. They were defeated by FunPlus Phoenix in the first round after throwing the third map. However, they cleaned up their gameplay to defeat Dragon Ranger Gaming and Leviatan, who are notable opponents. Overall, FUT hasn’t had the cleanest games, but could ride the momentum to deal some damage in the Playoffs.

100 Thieves naturally come into this matchup as clear favorites, but we don’t know whether the roster will perform as well as they did in the regional tournament. Stage fright or rustiness could play a big part in this series, and FUT has a very decent chance to upset. Still, on paper, 100 Thieves should win.

Fnatic vs. Gen.G

Despite finishing first in EMEA Stage 1, Fnatic has not reached their form in 2023 and still looks shaky. On top of visible concerns, they were matched with the toughest opponents from the Swiss Stage, Gen.G. 

The South Korean squad won two consecutive matches to qualify for the Playoffs against FunPlus Phoenix and Leviatan. Both these teams are relatively strong, but Gen.G was expected to win against the two teams with no issues. Still, Gen.G had slow starts on both matches, dropping the first map twice. To defeat Fnatic, Gen.G will have to immediately begin the series guns blazing.

Again, we have not seen Fnatic play a single series in this tournament. After a narrow 3-2 victory against Team Heretics at Stage 1, in-game leader Boaster admitted the team still had many issues. However, the Western European squad has had avid time to practice and solve their problems. 

This series between Fnatic and Gen.G should be the most competitive series in the first round of Playoffs; it is truly a 50-50 match. Since Fnatic hasn’t played any matches, Gen.G might not have enough data to analyze their playstyle, giving Fnatic an advantage. It will be an unpredictable match, but we’ll slightly favor Gen.G.

Header: 100 Thieves Twitter