EDward Gaming decimates T1 to punch their ticket to the Masters Tokyo knockout stages

The time has come for T1 versus EDG in what will be the final match of Group Play here at Masters Tokyo. The winner will move on to the Knockout Stages of the tournament, while the loser will be sent home with a whimper. So, make sure to keep an eye on this page as we look to bring you all of the action.

We have reached the final match of the Group Stage here at Masters Tokyo, and it truly has the potential to be a battle for the ages. The two sides faced off against each other on Day 1 of the competition, with T1 walking away with a 2-1 victory. But this time around, the stakes are that much greater as the winner of this match will lock up the final playoffs spot at Masters. Whereas the loser will be sent packing from Tokyo all together.

EDG pulled off a surprising 2-0 win over Natus Vincere (NAVI) in their last match out on the Tipstar Dome Chiba stage. It marked a historic moment for the organization as they became the first Chinese team to win a match at a major international VALORANT tournament. Their players truly sprung to life against NAVI, especially their star duo of Zmjjkk and Smoggy who pulled many heroic plays to get their team to this point in the tournament. And while there isn't really an underdog this time around between the two teams, many will surely be wondering if those same heroics will be enough to get them over the line against T1.

T1 find themselves staring down elimination following a tough 2-1 loss at the hands of NRG in the Group A Winners match. Despite the loss, T1 remain a force to be reckoned with in this tournament. And although they face the prospect of following NAVI out of Masters, they still maintain the psychological advantage over EDG in this match; having already beaten them earlier in the tournament. But will that truly hold weight over a revitalized EDG, or will the pressure of elimination be too much for T1? We shall soon find out.

We begin this match with stroll over to Fracture for map 1. Both teams opt to go for the tried and true double initiator composition for this bout.

EDG take the first pistol round of the map. And they are able to pick up their anti-eco and bonus rounds as they get off to a flying start on their attack side. T1 do manage to get themselves on the board off of a well-orchestrated retake, but a mistake their IGL xeta gifts EDG with their fifth round of the half. A mistake which enables the Chinese side to string together another, albeit brief, streak of rounds together to give them complete control of the map at 7 - 1. Only for T1 to answer back with three rounds of their own to at least mitigate the damage down to them on their defensive half. Nevertheless it is EDG that holds the advantage after the first half with a commanding 8 - 4 lead.

EDG get the second pistol round to start their defensive side. And just like in the first half, the Chinese side are able to convert their anti-eco and bonus rounds. Allowing them to break the double digit mark and heap even more pressure on T1, who have looked second best across multiple fronts on their own map pick. It looked as though T1 might be able to disrupt EDG's streak again, but a big clutch from Haodong and CHICHOO gets the Chinese team onto map point with plenty of time. And they spare no time putting this game to bed as they walk away with Fracture 13 - 4 to give themselves a commanding 1 - 0 lead in the series.

Having waltzed away with T1's pick of Fracture in the first game, EDward Gaming bring us over to Haven for the second map of this series. Both teams opt to run similar double-initiator team comps, with the key difference in this match being CHICHOO's Cypher.

EDG manage to take the opening pistol round thanks to 1 v 2 clutch from CHICHOO. They manage to take convert their anti-eco but are denied their bonus thanks to xeta's heroic efforts in the face of an incredible 4k from CHICHOO. Nevertheless EDG remain in complete control of Haven as their lead continues to soar upwards. With their star man Zmjjkk continuing his dominance from Fracture as he proves to be a consistent menace against T1. The Korean side are able to get a second round win on the board, but ultimately cannot muster any presence on their defence. Leaving EDG to take full advantage of their lacklustre performance to give themselves a 10 - 2 lead going into halftime.

T1 are able to take the second pistol round to give themselves their third point on Haven. And they also manage to convert on their anti-eco and bonus rounds. Giving themselves a faint glimmer of hope that they can get back into this series. The Korean side manages to get a couple more rounds on the board. But EDG finally come online again to take their 11th round of the map. And from that point on the task set in front of T1 became a case of mission impossible. Leaving EDward Gaming to race away with Haven 13 - 6 to send T1 home whilst also booking their place in the Masters Tokyo knockout stages.

VCT Masters Tokyo is here at long last. Ten teams representing each of the three leagues, as well as two invited teams from China, are set to battle it out in Japan for a chance at Masters glory. All of the matches will be streamed live from the Tipstar Dome Chiba on the VALORANT Twitch and YouTube channels. Those of you who wish to watch the T1 versus EDG match at Masters Tokyo may do so by clicking the links above or by tuning into our embedded live stream window down below.

Check out our VCT Masters Tokyo results article for all of the latest information regarding this tournament.

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