In a nail-biting showdown at the VCT Pacific Kickoff 2024 tournament, Team Secret bid farewell as the final Southeast Asian contender, leaving Paper Rex to carry the region’s hopes into the playoffs.
The Adobo gang didn’t have it easy from the get-go, struggling against Talon Esports on day one. However, they bounced back, scoring big against Detonation FocusMe and earning a shot in the Group B decider match. Then, they pulled off a surprise revenge win against Talon Esports to make it to the play-in stage to face Gen.G and Zeta Division.
The initial clash against Gen.G stunned spectators as Team Secret dominated the South Korean top dogs with a resounding 13-5 victory on Breeze in Game 1. Spearheaded by Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera and Adrian “invy” Reyes, Secret left no room for Gen.G to maneuver.
But Gen.G wasn’t about to give up just yet, catching Secret off guard with their determined spirit, even after the latter had the upper hand in the first half of Lotus. Gen.G managed to flip the script, evening out the series with a solid 9-13 win in game 2.
The tension peaked in the decider match on Icebox, with both teams locked in a fierce battle. Despite a valiant effort to contain Gen.G’s onslaught, led by Byeon “munchkin” Sang-byeom, Secret fell short in overtime, conceding a narrow 13-15 defeat and bowing out of the series.
Secret tried to keep their dreams alive by taking down Zeta Division in the next match. The Filipino went all out and clinched the series with the biggest margin yet in the VCT Pacific Kickoff. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs, as Zeta also fell to Gen.G.
As Secret bows out, it’s up to Paper Rex to fly the flag for Southeast Asia. Tomorrow’s match is expected to be a top tier entertainment, especially with the Susanto derby— Jason “f0rsaken” Susanto from Paper Rex and Kevin “xccurate” Susanto from T1—going head-to-head. Definitely one to keep your eyes on!
