Home-town favorites DRX and Gen.G will start in the upper semi-finals from opposite sides of the bracket.
SOUTH KOREA – The playoff bracket has been set at VCT Pacific Stage 1 following the conclusion of the Regular Season on Monday. There were several surprises over the course of the four-week groups, among them DetonatioN FocusMe securing their first victory after 682 days and T1 almost missing out on qualifying with a final record of 2-4.
However, the format has also led to RRQ being unable to qualify for the playoffs despite having a better standing than Team Secret and T1. This is because both Team Secret and T1 surpassed the requirement of two wins necessary to advance from their Alpha Group.
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VCT Pacific Stage 1 now moves on to the hybrid-elimination playoff stage, where six teams will compete for the three spots at VALORANT Masters Shanghai. The action will resume after a three-day break on Friday, March 3 at the COEX Artium in Seoul, South Korea.
The top two teams will receive deeper seeding in the bracket where the double-elimination format starts. Meanwhile, the other four teams will begin their first-round matchups in a single-elimination format. This means that two teams will face elimination immediately after their first-round loss, before transitioning into the double-elimination phase.
DRX and Gen.G emerged victorious in their respective Omega and Alpha groups and therefore will kick off their journey in the upper semi-finals on Saturday, facing off against the winners of the two knockout matchups. This also means that they only need to secure one more win to guarantee their qualification for VALORANT Masters Shanghai next month, scheduled for May 23 to June 9.
DRX dominated the Regular Season, emerging as frontrunners with an unblemished path to the playoffs having not lost a single series against Group Alpha teams. Furthermore, the Korean powerhouse boasted the tournament’s top three performers in the stats department: Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan, Kang “BeYN” Ha-bin, and Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul.
On the other hand, T1 have had a daunting time during the run through the Regular Season, initially facing a threat of elimination with a 0-3 start before recovering with a clean win against RRQ. Although their loss to Talon Esports later on heightened the risk of elimination, a crucial win against ZETA DIVISION in their final matchup ensured their qualification at the end of the day
In the first knockout round, T1 will face an in-form Team Secret, who concluded the Regular Season with a 3-3 record. While this record might seem average, their impressive victory against 2023 Pacific champions Paper Rex undoubtedly boosted their morale and placed them in a stronger mental position as they aim to qualify for Shanghai.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Paper Rex will face off against Talon Esports. These two teams clashed last year, with the Southeast Asian powerhouse prevailing over the then all-Thai roster led by Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut in a close 2-1 match. However, since that encounter, significant changes have taken place, with Crws and Jittana “JitboyS” Nokngam being the sole remaining active players in Talon Esports from last year.
The schedule for the initial playoff matchups is as follows:
Friday, May 3
- 4 PM – 🇵🇭 TS vs. 🇰🇷 T1
- 6 PM – 🇸🇬 PRX vs. 🇹🇭 TLN
Saturday, May 4
- 4 PM – 🇰🇷 GEN vs. TS/T1
- 6 PM – 🇰🇷 DRX vs. PRX/TLN
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
