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The second international Valorant esports tournament has officially begun as VCT Masters Tokyo 2023's first day concluded with three teams moving on to the qualification match, with three others facing potential elimination. The competition features 12 lineups across the regions of Americas, Pacific, and EMEA. Eight teams participate in the group stage, with only four being able to make it to the bracket stage to join the highest-seeded rosters from the three regions.
The first qualification match of the group stage features Americas' Evil Geniuses taking on Pacific's DRX. Evil Geniuses will be looking to cause an upset here as the rookies coming into this series while DRX will want to maintain their status as group-stage gods at international VCT tournaments.
Evil Geniuses vs DRX: Who will be the first team to qualify for the bracket stage of VCT Masters Tokyo 2023?
Predictions
Evil Geniuses have started strong at VCT Masters Tokyo with a commanding victory over FUT Esports. The third seed from the Americas region showcased multitude of layers in their gameplay and displayed great mechanical talent. Kelden "Boostio" Pupello was the star of the show for Evil Geniuses on the second map, Lotus. Ethan "Ethan" Arnold's consistent gameplay was also pivotal for the North American side to succeed.
A notable observation during this game was the relatively quiet international debut of hyped Duelist, Max "Demon1" Mazanov. Demon1 did not have the series that fans had hoped for. However, this speaks volumes to the depth of talent that Evil Geniuses have. Their ability to rely on multiple players to carry a game could be a crucial asset heading further into VCT Masters Tokyo.
DRX have started VCT Masters Tokyo on the right path with a 2-0 victory over Attacking Soul Esports. The game featured standout moments from multiple DRX players such as Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul, Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan, and Goo "Rb" Sang-min. DRX's site-executes were brilliant to watch and they always had a clear read on the Chinese side.
However, the team looked sloppy at times, with failed post-plants and their over-reliance on lineups that failed to net rounds at times. The team's fundamentals and trading also looked a bit off at times, with multiple heroic clutches being the reason for DRX closing out the series.
Both teams are quite equally matched in their current form coming into the qualification match, Evil Geniuses have shown a new layer in their strategy book while DRX looks to overly rely on site executs. If the latter can iron out their mistakes and come into this series in their best form, they are the favorites to take this series.
However, Evil Geniuses have a great chance at winning if they successfully anti-strat DRX and match them aim-wise. Overall, DRX are the slight favorites to qualify for the brackets stage.
Head-to-head
This will be the first time in VCT history where Evil Geniuses and DRX face off against each other.
Recent results
Evil Geniuses' latest match at VCT Masters Tokyo was against the Turkish roster of FUT Esports. The former were able to win the series with a 2-0 scoreline.
DRX kicked off their campaign at VCT Masters Tokyo versus China's Attacking Soul Esports, where they were able to defeat the international debuts in a clean 2-0.
Expected rosters
Evil Geniuses
- Alexander "jawgemo" Mor
- Corbin "C0M" Lee
- Ethan "Ethan" Arnold
- Kelden "Boostio" Pupello (IGL)
- Max "Demon1" Mazanov
- Christine "potter" Chi (Head Coach)
DRX
- Kim "stax" Gu-taek (IGL)
- Goo "Rb" Sang-min
- Jung "Foxy9" Jae-sung
- Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul
- Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan
- Pyeon "termi" Seon-ho (Head Coach)
When and where to watch
VCT fans across the world can watch the qualification match between Evil Geniuses and DRX on the official Valorant YouTube and Twitch channels. The match will also be co-streamed by popular streamers and broadcasted in multiple regional languages.
Evil Geniuses will face off against DRX on June 12, 2023, at 11:30 AM IST/8:00 AM CEST/11:00 PM PDT (June 11, 2023).
