We are down to the last four teams in the KICKOFF event of VCT Pacific, with the playoffs set to take place this weekend on February 24-25.
SOUTH KOREA – VCT Pacific KICKOFF has reached the playoffs, seeing four teams advance through the Group Stage and Play-in stages to reach the single-elimination bracket.
Paper Rex, T1, DRX, and Gen.G have successfully advanced, where two slots at VALORANT Masters Madrid are on the line.
The top four teams at VCT Pacific KICKOFF are sticking to the same pattern as the final standings from last year’s first league, which wrapped up almost a year ago in May. This highlights how these teams have managed to stay strong despite various changes, especially with Gen.G, where Kim “Meteor” Tae-o is the sole remaining member from the initial eight-player lineup.
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Paper Rex were the first to punch their playoff ticket as they emerged victorious against Gen.G in their opening match in Group C, 2-1 (Breeze 10-13, Lotus 13-10, Sunset 13-7). Being the reigning champions from the previous season, Paper Rex were placed in a smaller group of three teams, in contrast to the other two groups consisting of four teams each, and had the advantage of needing just one best-of-three series win to ensure a spot in the top four.
T1 secured their place in the playoffs by winning the Group A winners’ match against ZETA DIVISION with a 2-1 victory (Ascent 11-13, Lotus 13-4, Sunset 13-7). On the other side in Group C, the competition for the third playoff spot took place between DRX and Talon Esports. The Korean powerhouse secured the spot without much trouble, concluding the series in only two maps (Split 13-10, Ascent 13-8).
Meanwhile, Gen.G managed to recover from their defeat against Paper Rex by securing a victory over RRQ, allowing them to progress to the Play-In stage with ZETA DIVISION and Team Secret joining them from Group A and B, respectively.
In the round-robin group featuring three teams, Gen.G staged a remarkable comeback against Team Secret in an exhilarating match that went down to the wire. The Korean side secured a reverse sweep after losing Breeze 5-13, managing to equalize it on Lotus 13-9 and coming on top on Icebox after double overtime, 15-13.
The second series featured a surprising turn of events as Team Secret faced off against ZETA DIVISION. The Filipino representatives, who had just lost to Gen.G in a closely contested series, unleashed their frustration on Laz and the team, dominating Icebox with a 13-1 score before securing Ascent with a 13-8 victory.
At this point, ZETA DIVISION is no longer in contention for VALORANT Masters Madrid, as they cannot catch up on map differential with Team Secret in their upcoming match against Gen.G. Nevertheless, the game must proceed, with ZETA DIVISION determining whether Gen.G or Team Secret will claim the fourth and final playoff berth. The match concluded swiftly with a 2-0 victory for the Munchkin-led side, wrapping up the Play-in stage.
Following the completion of the playoff draw, Paper Rex and T1 will cross paths once more, setting up a rematch of the Susanto Derby played at the AfreecaTV VALORANT League late last year which PRX dominated 2-0 (Sunset 13-7, Lotus 13-5).
On the other side of the bracket, DRX will be favored to take down Gen.G, where a coaching staff reunion between DRX’s Seon-ho “termi” Pyeon, Soon-woo “Argency” Kwon, Kim “glow” Min-soo, and Gen.G’s Kang “solo” Keun-chul as they were all once part of the same MVP PK roster. This match brings forth multiple storylines, with Kim “Lakia” Jong-min also facing his former Vision Strikers teammates.
These two semi-final matchups carry significant weight, as they will decide which teams will represent the Pacific region at the upcoming VALORANT Masters Madrid, scheduled for March 14-24. Meanwhile, the outcomes of the KICKOFF grand finals will not only determine seeding but also designate the team that will earn three Pacific Circuit points, which is crucial in the overall accumulation toward VALORANT Champions qualification as the season progresses.
The matchups for the VCT Pacific KICKOFF playoffs, which will kick off on February 24, look as follows:
Saturday, February 24
- 4 PM SGT – 🇸🇬 Paper Rex vs. 🇰🇷 T1
- 6 PM SGT – 🇰🇷 DRX vs. 🇰🇷 Gen.G
Sunday, February 25
- 4 PM SGT – Grand finals
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
