No Hometown Team for Japan at VALORANT VCT Masters Tokyo
All eyes are on the three VCT leagues as we eagerly anticipate which teams will make it through to Masters Tokyo next month. Unfortunately for Japanese fans, their hometown team won’t be there to cheer for.
ZETA DIVISION, a beloved team, was Japan’s last hope for representation at Masters, but they fell short after losing to Team Secret and Korea’s T1 in the playoff bracket. The final score was 2-1 in favor of T1, with three closely contested maps.
Related: All VALORANT teams qualified for VCT Masters Tokyo
ZETA decided to start the match on Haven, a map they have played well in the past. However, their strategies were easily decipherable by T1, who had done their homework.
ZETA focused on taking mid control, but T1’s Sayaplayer, known for his incredible aim, demolished ZETA in the second round of the map. His impressive performance with a Marshal set the tone for the rest of the match.
Caster Paperthin described ZETA’s attack on Haven as “anemic,” as they lost eight consecutive rounds to T1, resulting in a 13-10 map loss.
T1 chose Bind as the second map, a wise decision considering their past success and innovation on the map. T1 locked in an unconventional agent composition, featuring Gekko, the game’s newest agent.
Fortunately, ZETA was prepared for this composition that had been making waves in the Pacific League. They capitalized on their aggression by opting for two duelists and two initiators. They also chose to attack first on Bind.
Unlike on Haven, where they seemed unprepared, ZETA regained control. Despite the map going to overtime, they secured a 14-12 victory, highlighted by SugarZ3ro’s personal ace.
The third map of the game was Fracture, and both teams showed signs of fatigue after two hard-fought maps. While T1 had been dominant on this map recently, they struggled in the beginning rounds and took some time to find their form again.
With incredible plays by Sayaplayer, T1 closed out the map with a 13-10 victory, putting an end to ZETA’s dreams of competing on the international stage at home.
Although ZETA won’t be competing in Masters Tokyo, they still have a chance to qualify for Champions Los Angeles through the Pacific League’s Last Chance Qualifier. They have time to refine their strategies during the break for Masters.
T1 will have a rematch against Gen.G tomorrow, adding another chapter to their intense rivalry.
Esports, VALORANT, VCT, Masters Tokyo, Japan, ZETA DIVISION, Detonation FocusMe, Team Secret, T1, Home Advantage, Strategy, Playoffs, Maps, Haven, Bind, Fracture, Last Chance Qualifier, Gen.G, Rivalry.