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ZETA DIVISION lost their first match in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2022 Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik against DRX on Day 1 of the tournament 0-2.
ZETA DIVISION is the only Japanese team in this Valorant LAN tournament, and teams from this region didn’t have much impact at last year’s VCT. Hence, they will be looking to have a bigger impact this time around.
Tomoaki "crow" Maruoka is a Japanese professional Valorant player for ZETA DIVISION mainly seen playing the initiator role for them. He opened up about the teams’ preparation, goals, and expectations from the Japanese fans for the tournament to Pratiti Dhang of Sportskeeda Esports.
ZETA Division’s Crow on their goals and preparations for Valorant Champions Tour 2022 Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik
Q: It was a rough day for the ZETA DIVISION to lose the series against DRX. What went wrong?
ZETA Crow: Lots went wrong. For example, in Icebox, our timing on the retakes was off. We made multiple smaller mistakes as a team.
When it comes to Haven, DRX’s attacks were powerful, so our counters for their set were not going as well as we had prepared for.
Q: ZETA withdrew its name from the Valorant Champions Tour 2021 APAC LCQ to rebuild its roster. Three new players, Yuma “Dep” Hashimoto, Shota “SugarZ3ro” Watanabe, and Tenta “TENNN” Asai, joined the Valorant team on December 12, 2021. How is the synergy among all the players on the side?
ZETA Crow: Compared to last year, the three players who have joined this year are way more aggressive in their playstyles. So, as a team, we are able to make much bolder moves in both attack and defense. As a support player, the way I support my teammates has changed.
Q: Last year, Japanese teams didn’t have a good run in LAN tournaments. Being the only team from Japan at the VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik, how confident are you in representing the region?
ZETA Crow: Qualifying for the international event this year didn’t increase the pressure on me. But this year, as the Japanese fan base and viewership have been rising, the pressure has been growing. We feel like we need to do better in the competitive scene on the international stage.
Q: What are some of the goals and objectives that you and the teams have set for themselves this year for VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik?
ZETA Crow: Myself and the team are aiming for our first match win because as soon as we have the first win, the nervousness will go. We will have a lot more freedom, and we will be able to, no, I’m sure we will be able to, play as boldly as we do in practice. So, that is why it is important to be okay personally.
