An exciting day of national VALORANT rivalries kicked off in VCT Pacific, with two of the biggest names in esports, T1 and Gen.G, going head-to-head.
As the season began in the Pacific League, Gen.G had expectations on their shoulders. Though they weren’t expected to be Korea’s superstar team—that title clearly belongs to DRX—many were predicting Gen.G could slide up into that second-place spot, particularly after their performance at LOCK//IN, the opening tournament of the 2023 VCT.
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Despite T1’s star-studded roster that includes some big names, especially for fans of Overwatch, the team struggled against the coordination of Gen.G, which has become noticeably more cohesive since the roster’s debut in February. Gen.G secured a convincing 2-0 victory in Seoul today.
The teams began by loading into Ascent, where they each locked in the same composition, the one which has become standard on this map in Asia. DRX and Paper Rex also play this composition, featuring a Sova, Omen, Killjoy, KAY/O, and Jett.
This mirror composition strategy set the stage for direct comparisons between players across both teams, as if the rivalry wasn’t heated enough already. Most notably, the battle between Sayaplayer and Meteor was about to begin on Jett.
T1 started off strong by taking the pistol round, but despite investing in SMGs for the second round, they fell to Gen.G’s weaker guns but superior strategy.
It was clear right from the beginning of the map that there was another head-to-head matchup that was worth keeping an eye on: the KAY/O battle between Carpe and GodDead.
GodDead has already made a splash in the VCT after he was added to Gen.G’s roster in March, and he continued to show his expertise. Aside from his godlike aim, he also demonstrated his command over KAY/O’s utility with perfect knives and debilitating flashes.
Though Carpe didn’t have bad utility usage either, with 13 assists tallied across the first map, his impact wasn’t on the same level as GodDead’s.
As far as the matchup between Sayaplayer and Meteor went, both Jett players are clearly at the top of their game. Sayaplayer, known for his excellent aim and reaction times, is a fantastic Jett player. But after an incredible play from Meteor on the tenth round of Ascent, it felt like there was nothing he could do to get even.
Even on defense, Meteor was absolutely on fire. Looking confident and collected, Gen.G took Ascent 13-5 in commanding fashion.
After a short break in between maps, the Gen.G players sat down on stage and continued to play like there was no break at all, running on their already-built momentum.
T1 struggled to get their footing on Haven, dropping four rounds in a row before they could defuse the spike in round five. Both Jett players struggled to get going on this map and seemed awfully quiet compared to the exciting plays they showcased on Ascent.
Though T1 were able to salvage a rough start by finishing just two rounds down at the half, Gen.G held their ground once again on their defensive side, and T1 didn’t get a single round.
Haven was over in a flash, Gen.G winning with an identical scoreline of 13-5.
This dominant performance by Gen.G seems to have securely ordered the ranking of the three Korean teams in the VCT. DRX still stands on top, followed by Gen.G and then T1. Though Gen.G hasn’t yet directly faced off against DRX, due to the latter team’s incredible performances internationally, they are considered by far the best in the region.
The true test for Gen.G will come next week when they face off against DRX for the first time. They might be the only team in the Pacific League with a chance of shattering their perfect map record, especially after both Paper Rex and ZETA Division both went down 2-0 against them.
Compared to their initial showing at LOCK//IN in São Paulo, Gen.G looks more coordinated. The two new additions to the roster, Sylvan and GodDead, have both certainly made an impact, but it also seems like the team’s game plan and in-game leadership are much more solid.
Gen.G will play DRX next week on Apr. 22 at 7 AM CT.
