VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers Group Stage teams locked in; group draw revealed
The 16-team event is due to begin on Wednesday, March 16, with teams across Asia-Pacific vying for a share of US$150,000 and two coveted spots at Masters 1 Reykjavik.
VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers Group Stage will feature 16 teams who achieved spots through sub-regional VCT events and the Play-In stage. The victorious team of the event will pocket US$30,000 in the grand final, set to be played on March 27, and also be given the chance, alongside the runner-up, to represent APAC at Masters 1 Reykjavik.
The group stage will be played in four double-elimination (GSL) style groups and is set to kick off in less than two days. Eight of the sixteen group stage teams will progress to the double-elimination, best-of-three bracket, scheduled to take place on the third weekend of March.
Twelve teams received a slot as a higher-seeded team from their respective sub-region, while ONIC G, FULL SENSE, No Namers, and Fancy United Esports secured participation from the Play-In stage of the event.
PERSIJA Esports (formerly BOY WITH LOVE), a team that features a handful of tenured Indonesian names including two former BOOM Esports players Nanda "asteriskk" Rizana and Kevin "Eeyore" Gunawan, finished as Indonesia’s second seed following wins over ONIC G and Alter Ego.
Meanwhile, XERXIA (previously X10 CRIT) and Paper Rex directly qualified to the group stage as the top seed of TH and MY/SG, respectively, after an unbeaten run.
Below you can find the group draw in full for VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers - Group Stage:
| Group A | Group B |
| 🇮🇩 BOOM Esports | 🇸🇬 Paper Rex |
| 🇹🇭 Made in Thailand (MiTH) | 🇦🇺 Bonkers |
| 🇻🇳 CERBERUS Esports | 🇮🇩 PERSIJA Esports (BWL) |
| 🇸🇬 No Namers | 🇻🇳 Fancy United Esports |
| Group C | Group D |
| 🇹🇭 XERXIA Esports | 🇵🇭 South Built Esports |
| 🇵🇭 NAOS Esports | 🇮🇳 Velocity Gaming |
| 🇸🇬 Bleed eSports | 🇭🇰 Oblivion Force |
| 🇮🇩 ONIC Esports | 🇹🇭 FULL SENSE |
ONIC G and XERXIA have been assigned to the same group as Bleed eSports, which will make its debut with a Singaporean-Swedish lineup, and NAOS Esports.
FULL SENSE, one of the highest-ranked teams in the event, made it through the Play-In stage after losing to ONIC G in the initial round, but they prevailed, comfortably defeating Team Big BAAM and Action PH. They are slotted into Group D and will go up against teams like Velocity Gaming, South Built Esports, and Oblivion Force.
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to like and follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Cover photo courtesy of Michal Konkol/Riot Games