2022 is surely the year of the underdogs. In the top 4 of VCT Masters Reykjavík, besides OpTic Gaming, there are three teams that we previously did not suspect would make it out of the group.
After yesterday's G2 Esports vs. Paper Rex match, there is not a single EMEA team left at VCT Masters Reykjavik. The European squad was eliminated in a very brutal style, losing both maps in a matter of seconds, really. Let's rewind everything that happened and look at the current top 4 standings (as they are really interesting, trust us).
G2 Esports vs. Paper Rex: Rewind
As mentioned earlier, G2 Esports lost two maps on Paper Rex, although the first 20 minutes of the match seemed to suggest that the Japanese squad had no chance and could already pack their bags. G2 Esports was leading 9:2, and they were winning every round without any big problems. And then "f0rsaken" got mad.
He is feelin' himself! @jasonsusantoo | #VALORANTMasters pic.twitter.com/nFhGg3sMa3
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) April 18, 2022
.@jasonsusantoo TOOK OVER in the match vs G2 at #VALORANTMasters And went 29/13/4 on Yoru pic.twitter.com/lFn4KZNyTL
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) April 18, 2022
Just check out these stats above. We have no idea how he did it, but as it turns out, "f0rsaken" scored a KDA of +26 with a headshot percentage of 38 playing Jett and Yoru.
After the comeback that Paper Rex managed to make on the first map, G2 Esports lost their morale and made mistakes from then on. And "f0rsaken" was just shooting headshots and not really caring about anything.
| G2 Esports | Paper Rex | |
| Split | ||
| First half | 9 | 3 |
| Second half | 10 | 13 |
| Bind | ||
| First half | 4 | 8 |
| Second half | 7 | 13 |
Paper Rex is definitely an interesting phenomenon at this tournament; maybe we can even call them a "dark horse". They lost to DRX but eliminated The Guard, and G2 Esports like it was a piece of cake.
VCT Stage 1 Masters: Top 4 Standings
The VCT Stage 1 Masters is getting closer and closer to the end. There are only 4 teams from 4 different regions left in the tournament, and these are:
| Team | Region |
| OpTic Gaming | North America |
| LOUD | Brazil |
| Paper Rex | Japan |
| Zeta Divison | APAC |
The tournament resumes this Friday (April 22) with OpTic Gaming vs. Loud and Paper Rex vs. Zeta Division matches.
Here's the Playoff bracket after 9 straight days of action: pic.twitter.com/O1MteKvRRN
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) April 18, 2022
What are your bets? Do you think that we'll have a Brazil vs. Japan final? Wow, that would have been something, but honestly, 2022 is so messed up for Valorant esports that it could actually happen. Join our Discord and chat with us about your VCT Masters predictions!