VCT Masters Tokyo Playoff preview

Here is a preview of the highly anticipated VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs including the qualified teams, format, and schedule.

The VCT Masters Tokyo marked the return of the Valoranr Champion Tour to the international scene following the first-ever franchised regional leagues. The booming esports culture in Japan is unquestionably at its pinnacle, and the nation’s capital is teeming with excitement. Twelve teams from four different regions traveled to Tokyo for this thrilling two-week competition, but as the competition enters the playoff stage, just eight are still in the running for the title.

The first-round matchups for the Playoffs, which are scheduled to take place from June 16 to June 25, have been made public by Riot Games. Four quarterfinal matches will be played over the course of the first two days of the competition in a double-elimination bracket. The playoff games will be the best-of-three series, with the exception of the lower final and grand final, which will be best-of-five series and played at the Makuhari Messe, Tokyo on June 25.

Teams qualified for Playoffs through the group stage:

DRX

DRX got off to a strong start at Master Tokyo, easily defeating the Chinese squad Attacking Soul Esports 2-0 in their opening encounter. The squad, however, failed to continue its coherent approach and put in a mediocre effort in a match with Evil Geniuses, the new North American favorite. The Korean squad was on the cusp of elimination with a 1-1 record, and a victory over FUT Esports was their only hope of survival. Despite dropping the opening map of the deciding match against FUT Esports, DRX staged a remarkable comeback and won the next two games against the Turkish team in their matchup to claim the second playoff spot.

EDward Gaming

After losing the first game to T1, EDG faced Natus Vincere in a cutthroat game where a loss could have resulted in their elimination. Despite the odds being stacked against them, the team pushed forward and won consecutive overtime thrillers to become the first Chinese team to win an international match on LAN. DRX beat T1 2-0 in the decisive match to advance from the group stage as the eighth and final team, joining fellow Asian teams Paper Rex and DRX in double-elimination bracket playoffs.

Evil Geniuses

By maintaining a perfect group stage record, Evil Geniuses became the only Group A team to advance to the playoffs. The North American team had a fantastic run, defeating FUT Esports 2-0 in their first encounter before defeating the formidable DRX 2-0 in the winners match. When it comes to the kill-to-death ratio, three members of the North American team are currently in the top 5, with Kelden “Boostio” Pupello leading the way with a K/D of 1.50 across the two group stage matches.

NRG

NRG, the Valorant powerhouse of North America, was the first group A team to advance to the playoffs. Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks and Victor “Victor” Wong’s excellent fragging skills helped the squad defeat NAVI in a hard-fought best-of-three series. In the deciding match, the South Asian underdogs T1 put up a tough fight against NRG and won the first map. Nevertheless, the North American team was not going to be outdone and staged a remarkable comeback to win 2-1 and secure a prized position in the playoffs.

Direct invite:

Fnatic

Fnatic, the reigning LOCK/IN champions, maintained their winning streak in the regional league and finished the VCT EMEA League regular season unbeaten. Their star-studded squad displayed flawless teamwork and heroic individual performances. However, the dominant European Valorant team lost to Liquid in the championship match and was unable to win the local league. Despite the loss, their 21-game winning streak cemented them as the 2023 VCT’s most consistent team and the clear favorite to win the Masters.

Team Liquid 

Despite a sluggish start, Team Liquid delivered on the promise of an impressive squad that included Igor “Redgar” Vlasov and Ayaz “naTs” Akhmetshin, two past Masters winners from Gambit Esports. Liquid finished the Regular Season in third place with a 6-3 record before going on an incredible run in the playoffs to force a rematch with Fnatic in the championship game. Liquid closed the championship game with a  3-1 victory to secure the EMEA League title and a direct invitation to the Masters Tokyo quarterfinals.

LOUD 

After a remarkable 8-1 regular-season record, LOUD has lived up to its name and reputation and won the VCT 2023 Americas League. According to VLR.gg, superstar Erick “aspas” Santos finished the season with the highest ACS of any player in the league, the second-most kills, and the most kills per map.

Felipe “Less” Basso, an 18-year-old who plays as one of the finest lurkers in the league and has the fourth-highest ACS and fifth-most kills this season, has also performed remarkably well. The combination of established players and rising stars makes this Brazilian group a firecracker that will be an obvious favorite when the tournament begins.

Paper Rex

Paper Rex was 2-2 after four weeks of play in the VCT Pacific season. After being shocked by a setback to DRX at the midway point of the season, the team that was thought to be a top international contender the previous year finished the year with five straight victories to earn a playoff spot in Masters Tokyo. The team will try to maintain its momentum in the playoffs, where they will try to overcome the Korean Valorant juggernaut DRX in the quarterfinals.

Header: Riot Games