The 10-team field for VCT Stage Two: Masters Reykjavík is finally set. It took two months to determine the 10 best VALORANT teams from each of the regions, but the final squad has now qualified for the event.
Masters Reykjavík is the largest VALORANT event in the history of the esport. It’s the first international tournament and it’s also the first event that will be played on LAN. Until now, VALORANT fans have had to watch regional tournaments and endure endless arguments about which region is better. Now, they’ll get their answer.
Here are the 10 teams that have qualified for the event.
NA – Sentinels
Sentinels are inarguably the most decorated team in North America. With the addition of Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, they may have more raw firepower than any other team in the field. Sentinels play loose and fast and aren’t afraid to be aggressive.
NA – Version1
Version1 qualified for the event by punching their way through the rest of the field to the NA Challenger Finals. They’re a bit of an unknown quantity, mostly because they’ve only been good recently. They don’t have the same long-term success as their regional counterpart.
EU – Team Liquid
Liquid are arguably the favorites to win the entire event. Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen is one of the best Reyna players in the world and can take over entire matches single-handedly. This is a star-studded team that plays strategically sound VALORANT and they’re ready to take home another tactical shooters’ crown for EU.
EU – Fnatic
A pair of recent roster changes have Fnatic looking sharp heading into Iceland. Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev and Martin “Magnum” Peňkov have been excellent in the orange and black thus far. Fnatic will likely need some things to break their way to make a deep run in Iceland, but they’re more than capable of making things happen.
KR – NUTURN Gaming
The rest of the world expected to see Vision Strikers take this spot, but NUTURN’s use of Astra sent VS packing. NUTURN has only been together since January, but they defeated VS and DWG KIA in the KR Challengers Finals semifinals and finals, respectively, without dropping a single map. It’s unclear how they’ll perform internationally, but VALORANT fans would be foolish to count them out.
BR – Team Vikings
Brazilian VALORANT has been sneakily good and Team Vikings have been the best in Brazil. They defeated fellow BR qualifier Sharks Esports 3-1 in the BR Challengers Finals. Brazil has a long history of excellence in tactical shooters and Team Vikings could be the next in line.
BR – Sharks Esports
Sharks Esports surged during the Challengers Finals to snag Brazil’s final spot on the plane to Iceland. They had good results but hadn’t played a finals match in 2021 until the Challengers Finals, where they lost 3-1 to Team Vikings. Sharks will be an underdog heading into Masters Two, but while there’s no real information on the best region in VALORANT yet, they can’t be completely dismissed.
LATAM – KRÜ Esports
The combination Chilean and Argentinian roster is ready to represent the LATAM scene on the Icelandic stage. KRU don’t really compare favorably to a lot of the other teams in the running. Traditionally, Brazilian teams make up the strength of the LATAM region, but Brazil has been permitted its own region. KRU are an unknown quantity but only lost two maps en route to a 3-1 Challengers Finals victory over Infinity Esports.
JP – Crazy Raccoon
Crazy Raccoon, at the very least, have the best team name in the whole tournament. They’ve been the best team in Japan in 2021, massively improving since the genesis of the VALORANT scene in the country. It’s unknown how they’ll stack up against the rest of the world, but their success regionally can’t be taken lightly.
SEA – X10 Esports
The all-Thai roster of X10 is another unknown international quantity. Domestically, once again, like many of these teams, they’ve been dominant. It’s hard to see them compete well against regions with more infrastructure and a deeper talent pool to choose from. But in a new esports scene, anything can happen.
VCT Stage Two: Masters Reykjavík begins on May 24.
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Published: May 13, 2021 10:18 am