VCT Masters Reykjavík – Day 2 Recap – North America Edges Out Europe
Published: May 26, 2021 - Last Updated: Jul 19, 2023
The Valorant Champions Tour Masters event in Reykjavík is heating up, and day two did not disappoint. We saw three interesting matchups, one of which was the battle between Team Vikings and X10 Esports. The boys from X10 showed a surprising level of play here and gave Vikings a hard time until the very end, but the fast Brazilian playstyle proved too strong with Vikings coming out on top in this one.
Now here comes the best part. The other two matches were probably the most anticipated ones in the entire tournament, and that’s the clash between the two most dominant regions in Valorant right now – North America vs. Europe. Sentinels faced off against Fnatic, while Version1 fought against Team Liquid. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the match analysis.
Vikings moving to the Semifinals, facing Sentinels next
The Brazilian squad has once again demonstrated why they’re the number one team in the region, after beating X10 Esports who just couldn’t match their fast playstyle.
Although they lost, X10 earned a lot of praise from the fans. They fought tooth and nail, and we’re keeping Vikings constantly on their toes, not allowing a moment of rest.
Map 1 was played on Icebox, and the first half ended pretty evenly with Vikings taking a slight lead of 7-5. The back-and-forth continued until the very end where Vikings finally took a 13-11 win.
Moving into Ascent, and things were just getting more intense. This time, X10 was still a constant threat.
At one point, the SEA squad applied pressure at the very end, evening the score to 12-12 and taking the match into overtime. However, the boys from Brazil quickly wrapped up with 2 easy rounds and took a 2-0 win.
Vikings are now facing Sentinels in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. This will be a true test for this team, as well as Sentinels. We’ll have to wait and see who’ll prevail.
Sentinels beat Fnatic
Since the start of Valorant, there was the age-old debate whether NA or EU is better. I guess we can finally put that question to rest after yesterday’s performance of both NA teams in this event.
This was the most anticipated match of the tournament, closely followed by the match between Team Liquid and Version1. Fnatic were the runners-up of EU Challengers Finals, and they entered this event full of confidence. After a quick 2-0 sweep in the Play-Ins against KRÜ Esports, they were looking to take down Sentinels.
First of all, it’s important to state that both teams played their hearts out, and each map was an absolute joy to watch. Fnatic were playing extremely well and matching the aggression Sentinels were displaying, but Sentinels came out on top in the end.
The final score was 2-0 for Sentinels, and they’re now one of the four teams that qualified for the Semifinals. The boys from LA just keep getting better, and at this point, there’s very little doubt left that they are the best team in Valorant right now.
Version1 pulls a massive upset, takes down Team Liquid
Team Liquid were absolutely humbled in this matchup, and have learned the hard way not to underestimate the NA teams. You could say that Liquid entered this match brimming with overconfidence, and right off the bat, they realised that things won’t go as easy as they expected.
Map 1 was played on Split and both teams were showing great performance, keeping each other in check. Even now, Version1 was keeping up the pressure and Team Liquid had to close the gap at the end and take the match into overtime. They eventually won this one, finishing Split with a 16-14 score.
At this point, Team Liquid must have been aware that this team is much harder than they first imagined, so they entered Ascent being much more cautious. However, Version1 decided to double down and continue with the aggression. This time they were even more precise in their assaults. In the end, map 2 went to Version1 and it was time for the final map 3 that would decide everything.
And this is where it all fell apart for Team Liquid. They tilted and allowed Version1 to completely walk all over them. The Team Liquid from the first two maps were suddenly nowhere to be found, and they were struggling to find their footing.
Version1 capitalized on this opportunity and went to town, destroying Team Liquid with a 13-4 final result on Haven.
We might still see an NA vs. EU Finals
The EU region has lost the battle, but not the war. Both of their teams currently find themselves in the Lower Bracket. One of them will almost certainly climb all the way back up and into the Lower Bracket Finals where they could potentially meet with Sentinels or Version1 once again.
Same goes for the NA teams. Although both Sentinels and Version1 took a win in their matchups, chances are they’ll have to face each other if all things go according to plan.
Either way, day two has been a blast and an absolute treat for any fan of Valorant. We’re looking forward to the upcoming matches and we’ll be following them with great excitement. Stay with us to learn more about all news, reviews, and Valorant betting predictions for VCT Masters 2.
