The first week of the Valorant Champions Tour Pacific League 2023 has just concluded, and it was dominated by South Korean teams. T1, DRX, and Gen.G confirmed their country’s position as one of the top competitors in the region by securing the top three rankings in the week 1 standings.
DRX began the competition against Japan’s Zeta Division, the champions of Japan Challengers 2022. Although many believed that Zeta would put up a great fight in their first game, they were defeated 2-0 by DRX.
DRX displayed their superiority in both maps, Ascent and Pearl. The South Korean team’s exceptional teamwork and map control were too much for Zeta to handle. DRX’s Jung “Foxy9” Jae-sun and Kim “Stax” Gu-taek led their team to victory with their outstanding performance in the first map.
Gen.G faced off against one of the SEA representatives, RRQ, in the final matchday of week 1. Despite being outmatched in the first half by the more experienced RRQ, the South Korean newcomer displayed exceptional mental toughness and won 2-0.
T1 vs Global Esports thriller
T1 faced a close call when they played against Indian team Global Esports. The two sides were evenly matched and aggressively dominated each other in their respective maps.
Global Esports got their favorite map, Pearl, in game one, but T1 caught them by surprise and crushed them in the first half. Although GE closed the gap in the second half, T1 managed to fend off GE’s comeback and ended the game 1 by 13-8.
In the second game, GE cornered T1 in their favorite map, Haven, and won by 4-13. In the final match played in the Lotus map, T1 dominated the first half by 8-4, thanks to their superiority in handling the eco round. Although GE repeatedly targeted T1 in the second half, T1’s individual brilliance was enough to let them gain control of the map and win the final game 13-7.
The Valorant Champions Tour Pacific League 2023 continues next week, with more intense matches expected as teams fight for their chance to qualify for the main event.
