DRX vs ZETA Division - VCT Pacific League 2023: Predictions, head-to-head, livestream details, and more

Regional league games for the pro VCT scene are set to commence soon, with the VCT Pacific League going first. The very first face-off of the season pits South Korea’s DRX against Japan’s ZETA Division in a best-of-three series.

Almost a month after LOCK//IN’s conclusion, the VCT partnership league is gearing up to step into its first major phase. All three participating regions — the Americas, EMEA, and the Pacific — will have a league phase of their own, featuring 10 teams each. Each league will have two phases, including league play and playoffs.

The league play phase will be played in a single round-robin format, with all matchups being best-of-three series. The top six teams at the end of league play will advance to the playoffs, while the other four will be eliminated.

The EMEA League will begin on March 27, 2023, three days after the Pacific League, which kicks off on March 25, 2023. The Americas League, on the other hand, will commence on April 2, 2023.

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DRX vs ZETA Division: Who will win the first game of VCT Pacific League 2023’s league play phase?

ZETA Division and DRX feature talented and diligent Asian players, who have showcased highly promising gameplay in erstwhile tournaments. As a result, both teams are equally capable of grabbing the win in the upcoming matchup. However, there are a few factors that can make predicting the outcome easier.

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Predictions

DRX’s talented roster has proven its worth on the international stage multiple times. The team grabbed the third spot in VCT Champions Istanbul 2022 (August-September 2022) and also made it to the playoffs’ semifinals in the recently-concluded LOCK//IN (February - March 2023).

Like DRX, ZETA Division also made it to the prestigious end-of-season tournament, the Champions Istanbul, last year. However, they failed to get past the group stages after losing two matchups. They also couldn’t prove their worth in VCT LOCK//IN 2023 and were sent home after losing their first “Group Omega” game in the single-elimination tournament.

Considering recent and past form, DRX definitely seem to have the upper hand in the upcoming matchup. Their roster features highly capable athletes, including BuZz, stax, Rb, Zest, and MaKo.

That said, ZETA Division are undoubtedly one of the top contenders in the Pacific region and will not go down without a fight. Their roster is populated with talented players like SugarZ3ro, TENNN, Laz, Dep, and crow, who can pose serious competition to DRX.

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Head-to-head

ZETA Division vs DRX head-to-head (Image via vlr.gg)

ZETA Division have faced DRX in five matchups so far and lost four of them. Hence, DRX have the upper hand in terms of head-to-head comparison.

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Recent results

ZETA Division and DRX: Recent results (Image via vlr.gg)

As mentioned before, DRX defeated a majority of their competitors in the erstwhile VCT LOCK//IN 2023 and Valorant Champions Istanbul 2022. In the VCT LOCK//IN semifinals, they almost “reverse-sweeped” the defending champions of Champions 2022, LOUD, but failed to take the win in the end.

Despite their unfortunate defeat in the final stages, DRX’s top-notch form was highly encouraging. They are deservingly regarded as one of the top teams on the international scene presently.

ZETA Division, on the other hand, have had a hard time proving their value in global tournaments. Despite having worthwhile players, they have failed to deliver on their true potential and replicate their regional success on the international scene.

ZETA Division have lost three of their last five matchups, which has undoubtedly had a negative effect on their reputation. That said, the imminent Pacific League may mark the Japanese team’s promotion to being a top gun in international competition.

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Potential rosters

DRX:

1. Kim "stax" Gu-taek (IGL)
2. Goo "Rb" Sang-Min
3. Kim "Zest" Ki-seok
4. Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul
5. Kim "MaKo" Myeong-gwan

Zeta Division

1. Yuuma "Dep" Hisamoto
2. Ushida "Laz" Koji (IGL)
3. Maruoka "crow" Tomoaki
4. Tenta "TENNN" Asai
5. Shota "SugarZ3ro" Watanabe

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Where to watch

Fans can catch the action between DRX and ZETA Division live on VCT Pacific’s YouTube and Twitch channels. The game is scheduled for March 25, 2023, at 2:30 pm IST/2:00 am PST/ 6:00 pm JST and Seoul Time/11:00 am CEST.