The four best Valorant teams in the world are going to be decided on VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland Day 5. Two more squads are going home, a grand finalist is being named, and all I’m left wondering is — where the hell has this week gone?
Honestly, it feels like the tournament started yesterday. Now we’re farewelling teams every day, and the final is just two sleeps away? Time flies so fast.
You can only imagine how it feels for the players too. This is where endurance, stamina, and experience wins you events more than raw skill. We’re going to see Valorant at its best over the next few days, and I can’t wait.
To get you ready for the final run, let’s go through the VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland Day 5 action, where the top four will be decided.
Version1 vs Fnatic
Version1’s dream run finally ended against NUTURN, but honestly, they put up a very solid fight against the Korean team. They were only one round away from winning the game 2-0, with Loic ‘effys’ Sauvageau dropping the map of the tournament with a 30/14 KD and 204 ADR on Ascent.
CAT EARS GONE pic.twitter.com/45OMkHf18N
— khaos🥷💫 (@khaosbob) May 27, 2021
It wasn’t to be though, and the Koreans once again, showing their endurance, outlasted yet another opponent. However, it’s brilliant match preparation for them to face off against Fnatic, a team who have lots to prove especially considering their tumultuous start.
After breaking out of the blocks, the European squad has stagnated. Sure, they just stomped X10 Esports to keep pushing forward, but no one had the Thai squad making off the bottom. Their Icebox was definitely inspiring, but their Haven less so.
- Read More: VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland hub
There’s a big question mark on Fnatic though, especially Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev. He finished the X10 series as Fnatic’s only negative KD player. He hasn’t shown the same flair as he did in the qualifiers. If Fnatic want to avoid elimination, they’ll need their Jett superstar to show up — else Erik ‘penny’ Penny will wipe the floor with the Europeans like he’s already done this tournament vs Liquid.
Team Vikings vs Team Liquid
You don’t want to face the wrath of Adil ‘ScreaM’ Benrlitom when he’s angry. KRU Esports learnt that the hard way, although you can’t blame them, given Version1 put them in that situation.
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ScreaM meant business for the first time at Masters against KRU, dropping an insane 194 ADR and 41 kills in the swift two maps against the Latin Americans. He was back to his online best, and we got glimpses of the ScreaM we know and love. If he can keep that up, Vikings have no chance.
The cracks in the Brazilian squad’s armor were out on full display against Sentinels. Although the NA squad are odds-on favorites to win the whole thing now, duelists Leandro ‘frz’ Gomes and Gustavo ‘gtnziN’ Moura didn’t do themselves any favors with a subpar performance.
- Read More: VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland power rankings
It’s been a hard tournament for the rest of the squad as a result. Gustavo ‘Sacy’ Rossi is doing his damn best on Sova to push Vikings over the line, and so are the two support players. But if ScreaM is a hot knife, he’s going to cut through Vikings like butter unless they’ve found the secret sauce.
Sentinels vs NUTURN Gaming
Our first grand finalist will be decided at the day’s end when Sentinels take on NUTURN. Honestly, this is probably the most exciting matchup of the entire tournament for me (if you missed the last preview, you’d know I’m a huge fan of Korean Valorant).
It’s the definitive test of regional strength. NA’s Sentinels have shown a new style of play they haven’t been able to implement online. It’s methodical, it’s high pressure, and it feels like the way Valorant should be played. They’re a well-oiled engine.
The same can go for NUTURN, although it was more expected given their VCT Challengers Korea run. However, they’ve still managed to impress many. A special hats off has to go to Kang ‘solo’ Geun-chul, who is cementing himself as Valorant’s greatest IGL with the level of strategic depth he has built for this roster.
However, there is one big weakness that NUTURN have, and it’s their map pool. They perma ban Icebox. They can’t play Haven, as shown earlier in the tournament. As long as Sentinels flips Ascent, they can make this a 2-0. Else, we’ll have a great series on our hands.
VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland continues on May 28.
