On the first day of competition, Gentle Mates shocked fans with a dominant series over EDG, while XLG fell short against NRG.
At the opening match of VALORANT Masters Santiago, Gentle Mates shocked the crowd with a dominant performance against EDward Gaming, kicking off the tournament with a major upset. In the second series, Xi Lai Gaming failed to trouble the reigning champions, NRG, ultimately dropping to the lower bracket.
The power of the Chilean crowd
One of the standout impressions from the event was the sheer energy of the Chilean crowd. Players like Patryk "starxo" Kopczyński of Gentle Mates shared on X how the crowd’s excitement and positive vibes made the first day of VALORANT Masters Santiago truly unforgettable.
Throughout the matches, the crowd’s energy never wavered. Even though Gentle Mates weren’t the favorites on their international debut, the fans stayed fully behind them, cheering and vibrating with every play. "That was epic," a fan wrote on X. The players hyped up the crowd, and the crowd fired back. The energy was electric, creating vibes that everyone could feel, even watching at home.
Gentle Mates vs. EDG: The last one standing
The previous all-kill record owner vs. the current all-kill record owner. EDG Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang and M8 Martin "marteen" Pátek have set the stage on fire with their insane performance and clutch moments. Everyone was expecting a fiery clash, but the aura on the stage was way bigger than that.
Even in their international debut, Gentle Mates were hyped more than ever, but EDG was not holding back either, even when they were losing. On Haven, the Chinese squad managed to bring the score close, but they couldn't end the game with a victory. As for the second match, while the first half was closer, EDG couldn't find their way to victory, and Gentle Mates won seven rounds in a row.
At the press conference, the coach Yoon "Autumn" Eu-teum said, "We understand the weaknesses we have right now. I'm sure everyone sees that through our match results. I think this team has a good mentality for improving."
On Gentle Mates' side, he added: "I think the key to winning against them was to show some balls, be really confident in what we're doing." The IGL acknowledged that their opponents were confident and packed with firepower, but they were equally sure of their own strength. They focused on pushing each other, knowing that once they secured Haven, control of the game would follow.
Are we witnessing the comeback of European strength?
An easy start for NRG
Xi Lai Gaming couldn’t pull off an upset against NRG. The reigning Champions winners dominated their opponents, signaling a rough start for the Chinese teams in the tournament. The first match was a stomp, with Georgio "keiko" Sanassy showcasing his international experience to lead the team to an easy victory.
As for the second match, XLG showed a better performance, which was still not enough to change the series' outcome.
On March 1, G2 Esports will clash with Paper Rex in what promises to be a chaotic showdown, followed by T1 taking on Team Liquid. You can watch all the matches on the VALORANT Esports Twitch and YouTube channels.
