Eight teams will duke it out at VCL Japan Split 2 for their share of a JP¥5,000,000 prize pool and a spot at the Pacific Ascension tournament.
JAPAN – The team list for VCL Japan Split 2 is now complete following the conclusion of the Advance Stage, which introduced a new challenger and welcomed back some familiar participants.
The five returning teams, SCARZ, NORTHEPTION, Crest Gaming Zst, Sengoku Gaming, IGZIST, and a new contender, Jadeite, will join Split 1 champions and runners-up FENNEL and Crazy Raccoon to go head to head in the group stage, each hoping to secure their place in the playoffs.
The complete team list for VCL Japan Split 2 looks as follows:
| FENNEL | Crazy Raccoon |
| SCARZ | Jadeite |
| NORTHEPTION | Crest Gaming Zst |
| Sengoku Gaming | IGZIST |
The top six teams from the group stage will advance to the playoffs, which will take place from May 10 to June 4. The top two teams will advance directly to the Upper Bracket Final, while the remaining teams will start their journey in the lower bracket quarter-finals. The stakes are high, and the possibility of early elimination for the bottom four teams will add a layer of intensity to the proceedings.
The winning team will be able to secure themselves both a place in the VCT Pacific Ascension tournament alongside the JP¥2,000,000 cash prize.
FENNEL have aspirations of making it to the Pacific Ascension league and even further. It would be surprising not to see them at least qualifying for the playoffs, especially with the arrival of coach Ivan “Johnta” Shevtsov to Japan. The team has been making steady progress since their roster overhaul late last year, bolstered by the inclusion of talented players such as former NORTHEPTION player Cho “JoXJo” Byung-yeon and former ZETA DIVISION Academy player Hiroki “hiroronn” Yanai. Nonetheless, they are not the only team aiming for success in this competition, as Crazy Raccoon will also be keen to bounce back after being overtaken in the final stretch.
Crazy Raccoon were standing above their peers as the clear favorites in the regular season of VCL Japan Split 1, but it was FENNEL who snuck their way to first place by pulling off a remarkable lower bracket run, triumphing over nearly all the playoff teams in the process. Meanwhile, Sengoku Gaming seem a bit vulnerable now with the departure of Russian duo Ilya “something” Petrov and “Vici”. However, a spot for the main event was still within the team’s reach.
Jadeite has secured a spot in the main event thanks to their strong performance in the qualifier. They were able to wash the slate clean after an unfruitful journey in Split 1 and find their form with their new fifth player, “muto,” even against more-established teams like REJECT and Sengoku Gaming. Their victory over REJECT in the qualifier also took them out of the equation, making Jadeite the only new team in the mix.
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Cover photo courtesy of VALORANT Esports Japan
