Korea to the Top: VCT Pacific League Week 1 Recap

The first of the three VCT leagues started last week, with VCT Pacific kicking off last week. The first week of VCT Pacific saw five fixtures between APAC, South Asia, Japan, and Korea. Ultimately, We have five teams at the top of the table and five teams waiting for a second chance to secure their first win.

VCT Pacific Week 1 Recap:

Match 1 - DRX 2-0 ZETA Division:

To kick off the VCT Pacific, we had the best teams of Japan and Korea taking on each other in the ZETA division and DRX. DRX is the toughest team to beat at the VCT Pacific. ZETA had a chance to win as DRX's primary duelist, Buzz was missing from the roster, and the team's newest addition, Foxy9, was playing the game.

Starting on Ascent, the ZETA division shut out DRX, taking an early 4-1 lead on defense. But DRX's attacks prevailed, securing the next seven rounds in half. DRX carried forward this momentum in the next half, losing only a single round before closing the game 13-5.

Pearl was a one-sided DRX domination. DRX's double-controller composition split open Pearl. ZETA division, despite close rounds, only secured a single round in the first half. ZETA did answer back in the second half, but the 11-round lead was too much for ZETA to deal with, and they lost the game 5-13.

https://twitter.com/vctpacific/status/1639583789952258048

While it was a tough loss for ZETA, it was against the best team, and a lot of it came down to nerves. The rest of the tournament will be better for ZETA. DRX will fulfill the expectations and continue their Pacific domination, starting the league positively.

Match 2 - T1 2-1 Global Esports:

After the first-round loss, T1 made changes to the roster. The team brought in iNTRO and rotated out on the first map. XETA took up IGL'ing for the roster over Munchkin. Global Esports themselves were playing without SkRossi and had brought in Wronski instead.

Starting on Pearl, T1 shut down all the attacks from Global Esports. Global Esports, in the end, only managed to scrape three rounds, closing the half in a disadvantageous 3-9. GES answered back in the second half, but T1's double-controller composition prevailed, and they secured the required four rounds to secure the first map.

T1, on their map pick, had difficulty dealing with GES' Skye + Kay/O composition. With Bazzi, t3xture, and Ayrin firing on all cylinders, GES secured a strong 10-2 scoreline in the first half of Haven. Despite losing the pistol, GES did not lose momentum and shut down T1 attacks to win the second map 13-4, securing a third map.

The decider, Lotus, started with T1 on defense. After initial strings of rounds from both T1 and GES, T1 took absolute control of the map. They closed the first half 8-4. In the second half, GES shortened the lead to one round, but T1 blasted forward, winning the game 13-7.

GES made the most out of the problematic situation they were in. Also, the seven-player roster came in clutch for them. T1 started the VCT pacific league positively and will want to carry forward the momentum going into next week.

Match 3 - Paper Rex 2:0 Detonation Focus Me:

Paper Rex is one of the contenders for the VCT pacific title. DFM served a strong opponent, and they displayed some amazing things and set the tone for the rest of the season. Paper Rex themselves showed some interesting compositions proving them to be one of the trickiest opponents at the event.

Starting on Pearl, Paper Rex featured a double-duelist composition with Phoenix and Jett. This caught DFM off-guard. While DFM adjusted well, Paper Rex's mechanical prowess and depth came in clutch, helping them secure a strong 9-3 half. DFM secured the first two rounds in the second half, but Paper Rex secured the required four to secure the first map.

DFM's Lotus was a brawl through and through. Both teams fought tooth and nail for control, with the first half concluding with Paper Rex with a two round lead. DFM closed down the lead in the second half, and the fight broke out again. In the end, Paper Rex came out on top, winning four in a row to secure the second map and the series 2-0.

DFM faced one of the hardest opponents at VCT Pacific and responded well. They will come out stronger in the next match. Paper Rex themselves will face Team Secret, a familiar face, and continue on their winning ways.

Match 4 Team Secret 2:1 Talon:

Team Secret and Talon were the stand-out APAC performances at the VCT LOCK//IN. Talon had the upper hand in the match-up, but Secret was ready to prove everyone wrong.

Starting with Talon's Ascent, Team Secret's defense shut down Talon's claws repeatedly. Team Secret's defense was too strong for Talon's attack to get through, and they faltered, losing the first half 4-8. Team Secret's solid defense switched gears on attacks and won the pistol. They converted the first-round win into a strong map win. Team Secret, with the win, proved that the VCT LOCK//IN run wasn't a fluke, but they are stronger than people give them credit for.

Talon wasn't done yet. On Team Secret's Icebox, Talon's defense shone with Sushiboys on the roster. They answered Team Secret's attack, securing nine rounds in the first half. Team Secret answered back in the second half, but the six rounds lead helped Talon secure the second map forcing a third.

Fracture had Team Secret written all over it. Starting on the attack, Secret secured nine rounds in a row. Talon somehow scraped together two rounds in a row, but Secret won the final round to close the first half 10-2. Team Secret extended the lead to 12 in the second half and secured the series with a 13-3 finish on fracture.

Talon started the VCT Pacific with a misstep, but they will return stronger. Team Secret's start will instill confidence in the team, and they'd convert the win into a strong season.

Match 5 - GenG 2:0 RRQ:

GenG and RRQ both needed the first win under the new team banner. GenG, coming into the tournament, made changes to the VCT Lock//In performance, addressing the issues of lock//in. RRQ did not change the roster and came to the game well-prepared.

Starting on GenG's fracture, RRQ dominated the first four rounds. It seemed GenG was struggling, but they came back stronger. After the first four round losses, GenG did not drop a single round after the first four round losses, winning the first half 8-4. GenG extended the lead to six rounds in the second half. RRQ won five rounds out of the next seven. But GenG maintained composure and took down RRQ.

On RRQ's Lotus, GenG's proactive defense proved too strong for RRQ to break. With Meteor on the front line and K1ng and Goddead on as anchors, GenG secured another 8-4 half. RRQ won the first two rounds in the second half, but GenG's momentum was too much for them. GenG's attack won the next five rounds to win the game 13-6.

RRQ displayed some amazing Valorant in the first game, but they have ways to go. GenG secured their first win and will likely continue this in the next game.

With the game, The first week of VCT Pacific concludes and the standings after Week 1 are as follows:

The second week of VCT Pacific kicks off on 1st April, with the ZETA division taking on RRQ.

Follow VCT Pacific's Twitter for all the updates regarding VCT Pacific.

Credits: Riot Games // VCT Pacific

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