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Michelle Lojo - Philstar.com
March 3, 2025 | 2:30pm
Surviving five maps, with the last going to overtime, the South Korean squad bested the top seed from the Americas league, G2.
Riot Games
BANGKOK, Thailand — South Korean team T1 emerged victorious in the first international Valorant tournament for 2025 — Valorant Masters Bangkok — at the UOB Live here over the weekend.
Surviving five maps, with the last going to overtime, the South Korean squad bested the top seed from the Americas league, G2, which was considered the tournament favorite.
The North American squad kicked off the series with a commanding 13-5 victory on Lotus. In Haven, both teams exchanged rounds until 8-8, only for the South Korean squad to explode and take four consecutive rounds to equalize the series.
In Abyss, T1 appeared poised to take the lead, but G2 mounted a five-consecutive-round win on the attacking side to put them at matchpoint.
With its backs against the wall, T1 seemed to spell the downfall of the Asia-Pacific team with its map pick of Split. But at the half, T1 managed to mount a comeback to take the lead. Though G2 managed to force an overtime, T1's hat-trick secured a thrilling 15-13 win, forging a decisive showdown on Pearl.
Despite T1's strong 8-4 lead at the half on Pearl, G2 mounted a remarkable comeback on defense to reach championship point. T1, however, rallied from a 10-12 deficit to force three overtimes.
In a nail-biting finish, Kim "stax" Gu-taek's play found Alexander "jawgemo" Mor that sealed the title for the South Koreans in one of the most memorable Valorant match-ups ever.
With a stellar performance, with stats of 94/96/30 and an ACS of 219, Kim "Meteor" Tae-oh took home Most Valuable Player honors.
With the first Valorant tournament done, all eyes are on Stage 1 of the regional leagues, with all-Filipino squad Team Secret as well as players Federico "Papi" Evangelista (formerly NAOS Esports), Kelly "kellyS" Sedillo (formerly Oasis Gaming) and substitute Mark "patrickWHO" Musni under Global Esports hoping to secure their qualification for the next Masters happening in Toronto Canada this June.
