Those of us based in the US and EU can probably be forgiven for not staying up to catch the opening to Valorant Masters Tokyo live. But if you’ve been using the Japanese timezone jump as a reason to skip the tournament altogether, you should seriously think again.
The first vandal volleys have only just been fired in the playoff stages, but we’re already being treated to upsets, unbelievable action, and phenomenally unfortunate flubs. Valorant Masters Tokyo is giving us everything we'd hoped for and more.
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The first match of the upper bracket saw the formidable Brazilian squad of Loud take on Evil Geniuses’ American and Cambodian lineup. Ahead of the tournament, few would have given the EG crew a shot at taking down one of the competition’s top-seeded sides. But the gods, it seemed, were on EG’s side. And even without the help of the heavens, they had a demon to fall back on...
EG proved a dominant force in two straight games, delivering organization and pivotal clutches, vandal one taps and ares spray downs on their route to victory. But if one moment is going to stick in the memory beyond the tournament’s lifetime? It will inevitably be this sequence featuring Loud’s tuyz and EG’s Jawgemo. It wouldn’t look out of place in a Mr Bean sketch.
Where the opening match delivered an the unexpected, the second realized everything competitive Valorant can be. VCT EMEA champions Team Liquid took on Chinese hotshots EDward Gaming. The latter side had already surpassed all expectations by beating the likes of NaVi and T1 to secure a historic place in playoffs.
.@zmjjkk with the ACE! #VALORANTMasters pic.twitter.com/TVr59tbDah
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) June 16, 2023
No longer a side to be underestimated, EDG butted heads against Liquid over three tense matches. In the end, however, Team Liquid just edged ahead to prove superior on the deciding map of Lotus. The result knocked EDG to the lower bracket and forged a path for the EMEA side to set up a duel with Evil Geniuses.
If EDG want their Masters dream to survive, they’ll need to best Loud in the lower bracket this Sunday. Before Tokyo’s games kicked off, that’s a matchup which likely would have been a writeoff. But now? It could bring all the heat of a grand final.
Catch all the Valorant Masters Tokyo playoffs games live or on demand on the Valorant Twitch channel or Valorant Champions Tour YouTube channel. And if you want to secure the same gaming gear the pros will be playing on, head over to the HyperX store.
