Having just secured that all-important first win over EDward Gaming, 100 Thieves sat down with the press to talk about that VCT LOCK//IN match.
BRAZIL – 100 Thieves spoke to members of the media during a post-match press conference following their win over China’s EDward Gaming. The North American side eliminated the last Chinese team left standing at the kickoff tournament, 2-1 (Icebox 13-10, Lotus 9-13, Pearl 14-12), in what was described by Brenden “stellar” McGrath as one of the best matches they have played in a long time.
Brenden “stellar” McGrath from 100 Thieves spoke about China’s inclusion in the VALORANT Champions Tour, stating that it is a positive development for the scene and that “they rightfully should be included”. The sentinel player acknowledged the impressive performance of EDG, stating that they gave 100 Thieves “one of the best matches that they have played in a long time”.
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“EDG just gave us one of the best matches that we’ve played in a long time. FunPlus Phoenix had a really good match as well early on against Karmine Corp.” stellar further added that China undoubtedly deserves a spot in VCT. “I mean, just based on player base or potential player base, I think they 100% deserve a spot in VCT.”
“I feel like it’s very hard for them to feel like they’re out of the round ever,” coach Michael “Mikes” Hockom said when asked how EDG’s tactics compared to their campaign last year. Stellar thinks that EDG have improved significantly since their scrims at VALORANT Champions last year and that their tactics have become much more refined. He praised EDG’s relentless playstyle, highlighting their ability to remain competitive in 2v2 and 3v3 scenarios, especially in mid to late rounds.
“I feel like they did a lot of nice like pushing and pulling things that we kind of had to talk about during the timeout, so I think their level is really high, and it’s a good look for China going into franchising for the rest of the year.”
EDG had come tantalizingly close to toppling one of the tournament favorites, despite their limited experience on the international stage. Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang and the rest of the EDG team will now fly back to China, but the campaign of 100 Thieves in São Paulo will continue as they prepare to face off against FUT Esports from Turkey.
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Cover photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
