{"id":41289,"date":"2025-02-22T21:18:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T02:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/?p=41289"},"modified":"2025-02-22T21:18:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T02:18:27","slug":"vitality-edward-gaming-advance-to-vct-masters-bangkok-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/vitality-edward-gaming-advance-to-vct-masters-bangkok-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Vitality &#038; EDward Gaming advance to VCT Masters Bangkok playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The third day of the <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/valorant\/champions-tour\/vct-masters-bangkok\/\" title=\"VCT Masters Bangkok betting guide\">VCT Masters Bangkok<\/a> Swiss Stage offered two playoff spots, with two series taking place between four 1-0 teams.<\/p>\n<p>In the first match, Team Vitality overcame the energetic Korean <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/valorant\/\" title=\"VALORANT betting guide\">VALORANT<\/a> squad DRX 2-1 in a three-map showdown.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Team Vitality secure the first spot in the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VALORANTMasters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#VALORANTMasters<\/a> Bangkok Playoffs with a 2-1 win over DRX! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YljzfDdSkp\">pic.twitter.com\/YljzfDdSkp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ValorantEsports\/status\/1893284894278656234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The series began with Vitality\u2019s strategic approach: they maintained their perma ban of Pearl while DRX removed Haven, leading to Vitality\u2019s selection of Bind and DRX\u2019s choice of Abyss\u2014DRX\u2019s strongest map this year.<\/p>\n<p>With both teams later removing Fracture and Lotus, the decider was set to be played on Split.<\/p>\n<p>On Bind, Vitality made an early statement, launching a 6-2 run that established a commanding lead.<\/p>\n<p>Their disciplined defence, even without a Sentinel, helped them secure an 8-4 advantage by halftime after switching sides.<\/p>\n<p>Despite DRX\u2019s rookie Song &#8220;HYUNMIN&#8221; Hyun-min posting an impressive performance, Vitality\u2019s momentum carried them through with a crucial 5-1 run in the latter stages of the half, allowing them to close out the map 13-8.<\/p>\n<p>Abyss proved to be DRX\u2019s moment to shine.<\/p>\n<p>With a renewed strategy that included debuting HYUNMIN\u2019s Yoru and a deliberate shift by in-game leader Kim &#8220;MaKo&#8221; Myeong-kwan from Astra to Omen to better support his duelists, DRX battled back fiercely.<\/p>\n<p>The rounds traded back and forth, eventually tying the score at 6-6 after Vitality\u2019s attacking half.<\/p>\n<p>In a climactic final round, MaKo orchestrated a brilliant play that pushed DRX over the line to claim a 13-11 win and even the series.<\/p>\n<p>The decider on Split was a test of nerves and adaptability, as both teams had limited experience on the map in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>DRX\u2019s rookie No &#8220;freeing&#8221; Ha-jun sparked an aggressive start on the attacking side, but the experienced Vitality veterans gradually regained control.<\/p>\n<p>After a first half that ended in a 6-6 tie, Vitality\u2019s excellent team play allowed them to secure four consecutive rounds in their attack half.<\/p>\n<p>Although a brief lapse saw them lose three rounds in a row, they recovered to clinch the map 13-11 and take the series.<\/p>\n<p>Star performer Nikita &#8220;Derke&#8221; Sirmitev led Vitality with 78 kills\u2014including 19 first bloods\u2014and an impressive 315 ACS, underscoring his dominance throughout the match.<\/p>\n<p>The second promotion series of the day saw EDward Gaming (EDG) edge out G2 Esports in a pulsating 2-1 series that rekindled memories of their previous encounter at <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/valorant\/champions-tour\/valorant-champions\/\" title=\"VALORANT Champions betting guide\">VALORANT Champions 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Never count out the World Champs.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EDG_Edward?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EDG_Edward<\/a> are into playoffs at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VALORANTMasters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#VALORANTMasters<\/a> Bangkok! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jb7ZEJyRnS\">pic.twitter.com\/jb7ZEJyRnS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ValorantEsports\/status\/1893334352479580532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>G2 began by banning Haven to avoid a map where EDG had previously recorded back-to-back 13-0 wins, while EDG removed Abyss following G2\u2019s strong performance against Trace Esports.<\/p>\n<p>With these choices, G2 picked Pearl and EDG opted for Bind, leaving Fracture as the decider.<\/p>\n<p>The opening map of Pearl was a nail-biter.<\/p>\n<p>G2 relied on their trusted Chamber comp featuring Nathan &#8220;leaf&#8221; Orf, while EDG deployed an innovative Yoru-Tejo strategy.<\/p>\n<p>EDG\u2019s Zhang &#8220;Smoggy&#8221; Zhao delivered an early clutch, shutting down a G2 retake attempt and helping his team jump to a 5-2 lead.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a heroic 1v4 clutch from EDG\u2019s Wan &#8220;CHICHOO&#8221; Shunzhi and a seesaw battle that saw the score tied at 6-6, EDG\u2019s persistence forced the match into overtime.<\/p>\n<p>In the extra period, G2 claimed the first match point, and their defence\u2014bolstered by timely plays from Alexander &#8220;jawgemo&#8221; Mor\u2014ultimately allowed G2 to close out the map 18-16 in a razor-thin finish.<\/p>\n<p>On Bind, EDG returned to form.<\/p>\n<p>With a lineup built around Tejo, KAY\/O, and Vyse, they quickly established a 5-1 advantage following a crucial pistol win.<\/p>\n<p>While G2\u2019s jawgemo produced a standout three-kill round that sparked a brief comeback, EDG\u2019s effective post-plant utility stifled any momentum from their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>The half ended 8-4 in favour of EDG, and they went on to win Bind 13-8.<\/p>\n<p>The series shifted dramatically on Fracture, where EDG dominated from the outset.<\/p>\n<p>Their defence completely shut down G2\u2019s advances, carving out an early 11-1 lead in the first half.<\/p>\n<p>Although G2 managed a minor rally on a force buy, EDG\u2019s aggressive site control and coordinated pushes left little chance for a comeback.<\/p>\n<p>EDG wrapped up the map\u2014and the series\u2014with a decisive 13-4 victory.<\/p>\n<p>With these wins, Team Vitality and EDward Gaming have punched their tickets to the playoffs, setting the stage for an electrifying postseason at Masters Bangkok.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, DRX and G2 now face high-pressure scenarios as they fight to keep their championship hopes alive in the Swiss Stage.<\/p>\n<h2>Sundays VCT Masters Bangkok fixtures<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"pageList\">\n<li>T1 ($1.50) vs Trace Esports ($2.50) @ 5pm ICT<\/li>\n<li>Team Liquid ($1.83) vs Sentinels ($1.83) @ 8pm ICT<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/news\/\" class=\"contentLinkBtn\">Esports news<\/a><\/p>\n<hr>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The third day of the VCT Masters Bangkok Swiss Stage offered two playoff spots, with two series taking place between four 1-0 teams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":41013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1520,348,103,215,1150,1610,3856],"class_list":["post-41289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-drx","tag-edward-gaming","tag-g2-esports","tag-team-vitality","tag-valorant","tag-valorant-champions-tour","tag-vct-masters-bangkok"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41289"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41294,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41289\/revisions\/41294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}