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VCT 2023: Pacific League is finally underway. The league is comprised of ten Valorant franchised teams from the Asia Pacific region. The tournament kicked off on March 25, 2023, and will continue until May 16, 2023. It is being organized by Riot Games and hosted in Seoul, South Korea. Teams that secure the top three spots in the event will eventually make their way to VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo and ultimately to the Valorant Champions 2023.
In an exclusive interview after the Day 2 matches of VCT 2023: Pacific League concluded, Rishabh Kalita from Sportskeeda Esports got the opportunity to have a conversation with Team Secret's Borkum. The esports athlete shared his intriguing take on their performance against Talon Esports, the lack of time they had to practice ahead of their match, key takeaways from VCT LOCK//IN, and more.
Team Secret's Borkum talks about performance against Talon Esports in VCT 2023: Pacific League, skills required to be an effective Controller, and more
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Q. How would you assess your individual and team performance today?
Borkum: Our performance wasn't 100%. The way we got here, we only had four days of practice. When we got here in Korea, we were just fixing some documents for our stay here in Korea, our personal documents.
(Despite this) I am really proud of my team they gave their 100% with this seriousness. We are looking forward to the next team we are up against.
Q. Did you face any unforeseen challenges today against Talon Esports?
Borkum: Maybe map 2, Icebox, where we were having issues with miscommunication. We had the read (on Talon Esports) but we couldn't execute it smoothly. So that's why the second map was a little bit off. But we bounced back on the third map.
Q. What are some areas that you think Team Secret is currently lacking in and needs to improve ahead of VCT Masters?
Borkum: I think it's our routine. We just need to fix our routines first, because some of us are a bit lazy because of the cozy weather here in Korea. I mean if we fix that, then by the time our journey in VCT 2023: Pacific League ends, the team will pop off.
Q. What were some key insights that you gained from VCT LOCK//IN 2023 that you intend to showcase in this tournament?
Borkum: We need to play hard, we need to play smart, and also have fun. Because at that time we were facing NAVI and we were under a little bit of pressure. I think we got the momentum but we threw the 4v2 round. We got picked one by one, (we were) overconfident, you know.
So, we threw that round and I think that round cost us so much. Because if we would have won that round then I think we could have made the (scoreline) 9-3 or 10-2 in the first half against NAVI but unfortunately, we choked in the second half.
Q. In your opinion, could the decision of not using a Duelist have been a contributing factor to losing crucial rounds during the attacking side on Icebox and eventually losing the map?
Borkum: I think our (Agent) composition was better. We have more map control. It's about managing the information and movement within the map. So, running maps without Duelists is a lot of work for us. I think some maps you can run without Duelists. We'll see the next composition on the other maps.
Q. Following the defeat on the second map, your team completely dominated Talon on Fracture. What adjustments did you make to witness such a significant improvement in your team's performance?
Borkum: As for adjustments, we played more like a team. Because on Icebox, we played individually. We weren't covering each other's back, like Sage was planting, but no one was covering her, you know. So (on Fracture) we played like we were hugging each other on the map. When Talon makes some plays, we just respond to it (together).
Q. Which teams do you view as the most challenging in VCT Pacific 2023, and why do you think so?
Borkum: The Golden DRX. Everyone is looking forward to them. Because they are such an inspiration to us Asian teams, especially the Pacific region. At Every event, they have a good run and good strategies that they keep showing to everyone. So yeah, DRX.
Q. You are often seen on Controllers. It is one of the most difficult roles to play in-game and involves a lot of responsibility in both Attack as well as Defense. What are some techniques or practices you incorporate in your matches to maintain composure and concentration, especially in high-stakes tournaments like VCT?
Borkum: When playing Controllers, you have to balance the inside and the outside of the game. Sometimes half of the day, watching some videos and tomorrow, you play with 12 hours of grinding. So you just have to mix it up and learn from others. Always learn from others. And map awareness is the main factor and also communication. I think our communication a while ago was on point.
Q. Team Secret will be facing Paper Rex next. What do you think of them?
Borkum: As a team, I think they are good. I thought they were going to take the map (for) free against DetonatioN FocusMe. But due to other circumstances, they lost the anti (eco) to DetonatioN but Paper Rex was looking forward to it. We are just going to prepare, grind, watch their VODs, and fix our mistakes.
Team Secret will face Paper Rex as its next opponent in VCT 2023: Pacific League. The upcoming match is scheduled for April 2, 2023.
