Here’s what you need to know about the eight teams set to do battle beginning on June 9.
Taking place from June 9–12, the VCT APAC Stage 2 Challengers Play-In stage will see eight teams duke it out for four spots in the group stage of the event. The competition will kick off with two groups of four teams playing best-of-three matches. The top two sides from each group will progress to the next stage, featuring yet another best-of-three, double-elimination format, where they will join the other eight teams.
For those who wish to stay up to date on the teams, here is our preview of all eight sides competing in the play-in stage.
| Group A | Group B |
| 🇮🇩 BOOM Esports | 🇸🇬 Bleed eSports |
| 🇹🇭 Made in Thailand | 🇵🇭 Rex Regum Qeon |
| 🇻🇳 CERBERUS Esports | 🇻🇳 Team Big BAAM |
| 🇮🇳 Enigma Gaming | 🇹🇼 Ghetto Artist |
Group A
🇮🇩 BOOM Esports
- 🇮🇩 Gary “blaZek1ng” Dastin
- 🇮🇩 Saibani “fl1pzjder” Rahmad
- 🇮🇩 Rafi “frostmind” Diandra
- 🇮🇩 Rizkie “BerserX” Adla Kusuma
- 🇮🇩 David “Tehbotol” Monangin
- 🇰🇷 Ji “meow” Dong-jun (Coach)
Recent results:
- 3rd – VCT Indonesia Stage 2 Challengers
- 4th – VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers
- 1st – VCT Indonesia Stage 1 Challengers
Players to watch: BerserX, Tehbotol
BOOM Esports enter VCT APAC Stage 2 Challengers on the back of solid results over the last three months. Currently ranked third in APAC, according to VLR.gg, they are one of the obvious favorites in the Play-In stage, featuring one of the most promising up-and-comers in Indonesia, Rizkie “BerserX” Adla Kusuma, and a mix of some of Indonesia’s best prospects from last year.
The Gary “blaZek1ng” Dastin-led side were also doing well in the sub-regional competition, winning six out of seven matches in groups before falling short to Alter Ego twice in the Upper Bracket R2 and the Lower Bracket Final of VCT Indonesia Stage 2 Challengers.
The competition will have the chance to reprise the VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers group stage versus MiTH, in which the Indonesian team gave the Thai squad a run for their money and claimed a 2-0 win after a closely contested finish on both maps. The two teams will be once again placed in the same group, but this time in the Play-In stage.
🇹🇭 Made in Thailand (MiTH)
- 🇹🇭 Nantapol “Kongared” Boonying
- 🇹🇭 Jirayu “wannafly” Meesuk
- 🇹🇭 Thanaboon “Delend” Tungsupsatit
- 🇹🇭 Palapoom “AloNeFillz” Thaikum
- 🇹🇭 Kantapon “Kadoom” Kingthong
- 🇹🇭 Sattawut “Leaf” Reathong (Coach)
Players to watch: Kadoom, AloNeFillz
Recent results:
- 3rd – VCT Thailand Stage 2 Challengers
- 7-8th – VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers
- 2nd – VCT Thailand Stage 1 Challengers
MiTH still have a lot to prove and need a confidence boost before embarking on their lengthy road. Throughout their VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers campaign, the team just needed two victories against Vietnam’s CERBERUS Esports to qualify for the top eight. The two teams are no strangers to each other’s games, and as we previously mentioned, along with BOOM Esports, they are positioned in the same group again.
MiTH are a dark horse in the sense that they are often overlooked. Despite needing just two victories to reach the top eight of the previous Stage, it is noteworthy that the team’s playoff losses against PERSIJA Esports and Bleed eSports were nail-biting series that went the distance on virtually all six maps played. Teams should therefore be cognizant of the firepower MiTH may bring to a matchup. Domestically, the team had shown signs of progress, beating elite-level domestic teams such as FULL SENSE twice, as well as Team NKT, X10 CRIT, and Sharper Esport en route to the finals of VCT Thailand Stage 2 Challengers.
Despite being relatively new as a squad, this is a chance for Nantapol “Kongared” Boonying and co. to solidify their place as Thailand’s new hope.
🇻🇳 CERBERUS Esports
- 🇻🇳 Ngô “Kishi” Trường Huy
- 🇻🇳 Nguyễn “Lok1” Trung Tín
- 🇻🇳 Châu “Akashi” Hoàn Thiện Nhân
- 🇻🇳 Nguyễn “Daicute” Anh Minh Thông
- 🇻🇳 Lê “Redneval” Quốc Khánh
- 🇰🇷 Yoon “Malix” Kyung-ho (Coach)
Recent results:
- 2nd – VCT Vietnam Stage 2 Challengers
- 9-12th – VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers
- 1st – VCT Vietnam Stage 1 Challengers
Players to watch: Daicute, Suka
CERBERUS Esports remain a strong team on paper and theoretically have the potential to upset teams. They are also the tournament’s most stable team, with no roster changes since the 2021 VCT SEA Stage 2 Challengers Playoffs — exactly 13 months ago.
The Vietnamese squad are in a deja-vu situation once again, having been put in the same group as BOOM Esports and MiTH, which saw them being ousted early in 9-12th place last time. They should be ready to show what they have learnt and rectified in order to at least pull through this group. Expect them to be a contender in the group stage if they have.
🇮🇳 Enigma Gaming
The runner-up of the Skyesports Champions Series, Enigma Gaming, will fill the last spot in Group A.
ALSO READ: VCT APAC Stage 2 Challengers groups and schedule revealed
Group B
Bleed eSports
- 🇸🇬 Xavier “LEXY” Lee
- 🇸🇬 Derrick “Deryeon” Yee
- 🇸🇬 Lionel “lenne” Lim
- 🇸🇪 Jacob “pyth” Mourujärvi
- 🇸🇪 Max “maxie” Lönnström
- 🇸🇬 Jorell “Retla” Teo
- 🇩🇪 Nikola “LEGIJA” Ninić (Coach)
- 🇸🇬 Aaron “Eno” Cheah (Assistant coach)
Recent results:
- 3rd – VCT MY/SG Stage 2 Challengers
- 3rd – VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers
- 2nd – VCT MY/SG Stage 1 Challengers
Players to watch: Deryeon, pyth
This Play-In group should be relatively straightforward to get out of for a team like Bleed eSports, who were on the verge of securing tickets to VCT Masters 1 in Reykjavik, Iceland, in March.
Bleed eSports were the team who defeated last year’s LCQ champions FULL SENSE and pushed a team like XERXIA Esports to the limit in Stage 1 to almost secure the tickets to Reykjavik. All in all, they have a big chance of making it far into the competition.
🇵🇭 Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ)
- 🇵🇭 Francis “Rabbet” Buñag
- 🇵🇭 Jed “Draxiimov” Jamir
- 🇵🇭 Nathaniel “Nexi” Cabero
- 🇵🇭 James “2geMonstah” Goopio
- 🇵🇭 Kelly “kellyS” Sedillo
- 🇵🇭 Vince “Flash” Medado
- 🇵🇭 Jose “Rbtx” Jamir (Coach)
Recent results:
- 3rd – VCT Philippines Stage 2 Challengers
- 3rd-4th – Predator Kings of PH
Players to watch: kellyS, Nexi
RRQ have steadily risen through the ranks of Filipino VALORANT and have finally got a chance to compete in the APAC-level competition. It’s Kelly “kellyS” Sedillo who has been the driving force of the team in recent times, assisting the squad in taking down teams such as Oasis Gaming, Team Secret, and NAOS Esports during VCT Philippines Stage 2 Challengers.
Along with him, the team now has former Zeal Esports duo in James “2geMonstah” Goopio and Vince “Flash” Medado to provide more experience and put a stop to the squad’s shaky start to the year.
🇻🇳 Team Big BAAM
- 🇻🇳 Nguyễn “P1nA2k4” Nam
- 🇻🇳 Phạm “d0rf” Huỳnh Toàn Quốc
- 🇻🇳 Nguyễn “nTK” Tuấn Kiệt
- 🇻🇳 Trần “Mowf” Đức Minh
- 🇻🇳 Nguyễn “Nhatthong2k” Nhất Thống
Recent results:
- 3rd – VCT Vietnam Stage 2 Challengers
- 19-20th – VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers
- 3rd – VCT Vietnam Stage 1 Challengers
Players to watch: nTK, Nhatthong2k
Team Big BAAM did not show their best form in VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers. Their unlucky group draws alongside ONIC G, FULL SENSE, and Action PH might partly explain their last-place finish in March. This time will not be easy either.
Heading into Stage 2, Team Big BAAM will need to showcase much better form than they have in Stage 1 and hope for another consistency from Nguyễn “nTK” Tuấn Kiệt as well as a step up in performance from Nguyễn “Nhatthong2k” Nhất Thống, who has struggled to find the same impact like Stage 1.
🇹🇼 Ghetto Artist
- 🇹🇼 “Bea2“
- 🇹🇼 “Floatqq“
- 🇹🇼 “yTao“
- 🇨🇳 “8lua“
- 🇨🇳 “Babyblue“
- 🇹🇼 “rkgk“ (Coach)
Recent results:
- 2nd – VCT HK/TW Stage 2 Challengers
Players to watch: 8lua, Babyblue
The Taiwanese squad is probably the biggest question mark going into this tournament. No one knows the skill ceiling of this squad yet. They fell short in the grand final of VCT HK/TW Stage 2 Challengers to Griffin E-Sports, who finished 17-18th in VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers, making them the clear underdogs in the entire tournament – also due to lack of showings in general.
Nonetheless, it will be intriguing to watch how well the newly-formed Ghetto Artist will do, mainly because they will not be under as much pressure as their three rivals in the group.
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Cover photo courtesy of VALORANT Esports
