Battle Intensifies: VCT Pacific Week 2 Preview
The first week of VCT Pacific established some strong teams. Most results were as expected, with Team Secret vs Talon as the only outlier. We saw rotating rosters, an International big-stage debut ace and more in the first week of VCT Pacific. The second week of the VCT Pacific will be a redemption arc for the teams who failed to get on board in the first week. It will also be a chance for the first week's winners to expand their dominance and extend the lead.
VCT Pacific Week 2 games preview and predictions:
ZETA division vs. Rex Regum Qeon:
Both ZETA and RRQ failed to close out their week 1 game. In the opening game, ZETA lost to DRX, likely the best team in the VCT pacific. RRQ lost to GenG, a strong team in their regard. RRQ and ZETA displayed interesting strategies but were overwhelmed and outclassed by their opponents.
In the matchup, ZETA and RRQ must recollect their mental and reset themselves to win the game.
RRQ, despite the talented players, have had a hard time finding the synergy. In comparison, the players perform exceptionally. RRQ, as a team, fumbles and falls as a division. Going into the matchup, RRQ will have to fix their mistakes against GenG to have the slightest chance of winning.
ZETA themselves have been struggling a lot. After shuffling the IGL role, LAZ will continue to IGL for the team. Despite the disappointing results in the previous fixtures, ZETA, at its core, is a solid team and has the skills to take on strong teams. In the first game, ZETA faced the strongest opponents of VCT Pacific. Additionally, In the post-game interview, they said it was the first game nerves that got to them. Going into the matchup, ZETA must mentally get to a better place to play their best Valorant.
The game heavily favors ZETA for the win as long as they play their game. RRQ can surprise everyone, as they look much better than VCT LOCK//IN, but ZETA looks better as a team and a group for now.
Talon vs. T1:
T1 secured the first win with the opening match of VCT Pacific. After shuffling roles, XETA is now the IGL for T1, and they looked much better than the VCT LOCK//IN team. They also brought in iNTRO. Talon did lose the first match, but most of it was losing individual duels. If Talon shoots as well as they did during the VCT LOCK//IN, they will have a higher chance of winning the game.
Both teams have individually talented, mechanically solid players who can clutch up rounds. The game's result will fall on which team makes fewer mistakes and plays together.
In Talon's first game, they seemed disjointed after experimenting with a six-man roster. While the plan looks solid long-term, they are now struggling. With this being their second game, Talon will surely be stronger. The same can be said about T1, T1 lost a map to GE, and much of it fell to XETA clutching it up. If t1 wants to continue winning, they need not rely on XETA's talent and win as a team.
T1-Talon will be one of the most balanced matchups of week 2. The Talon will be slightly favored, but T1 has the talent and the firepower to take down Talon.
VCT Pacific Match of the week - Team Secret vs. Paper Rex:
Team Secret has been on an impressive run after adding the new members. The team's coaches and the team understand themselves, making them a strong team to face. Team Secret defeated Talon in their first game, one of the best teams of VCT Pacific. But their opponents in the next game will be Paper Rex.
Paper Rex is the second seed at the event. Apart from DRX, Paper Rex is the contender to win it all. They are the trickiest team to play at the event and must be the toughest. The hardest part about playing Paper Rex is facing their intuitive and innovative compositions. They create chaos with their composition and ensure they thrive in it. Only teams who can play their own game and not fall for the W gaming Chaos can stand up to Paper Rex.
At this point, team secret has a knack for upsetting teams, but Paper Rex is a different beast altogether. PRX has won over TS in all their previous encounters, and the record will likely be clean. PRX will have an advantage and likely secure a 2-0 on the league scoreboard.
GenG vs. Detonation FocusMe:
GenG, after a drought of wins, won their first game at VCT Pacific over RRQ. The game saw GenG out calling and outplaying RRQ after a shaky start. While RRQ isn't the strongest team in the league, they are decent, and a win over any team is a huge confidence boost for GenG. The team's latest additions, Sylvan and GoDdead, played well in the first game, and if all the players perform as expected, GenG will rightfully claim their place as the top three teams of VCT Pacific. As per IGL TS, the team is still struggling with comm. issues. They have gotten better over time. But they need to win a few more games to reach their potential.
DFM looked better prepared for their opening game. Playing Paper Rex, they stumbled on the first map but had some interesting strategies on the second, almost winning the second map. DFM is still figuring out their game plan and will need another game or two to figure themselves out. But eventually, they will be a strong team to deal with.
The match will favor GenG as a much more mature team. DFM will need to outclass GenG in every aspect to win over them, and it will be a tall task. GenG currently has fewer problems than DFM, but DFM surely has a solid chance to beat GenG.
Global Esports vs. DRX:
After losing to T1 in their first-ever matchup, Global Esports faced yet another Korean team. And not just any korean team, the best korean team in all of VCT. DRX currently are in the running for the best team in the world alongside LOUD, Fnatic, NRG and Natus Vincere. The team has had consistent top-five finishes in International events and is the current top dog of VCT Pacific. They have insane firepower and certainly the strategies to aid it.
Global Esports, on the other hand, have won a map over teams but struggle to close out the game. The team is plagued with VISA issues and still hasn't had the whole team under one roof after four months of formation. The team can think of preparing fully once the VISA issues are resolved. For now, DRX will be a tall task for Global Esports. The team does not seem to be in the form of taking down the best team in the Pacific.
While the game is a DRX win, it will be a good learning experience for Global Esports, and after the game, they'd have one less strong team to think about.
The VCT Pacific action resumes today. You can follow the games on Twitch, Youtube, and Facebook. For more details on the format, schedule, and viewing details, read the VCT Pacific article on Strafe.