Natus Vincere vs EDward Gaming - VCT Masters Tokyo 2023: Predictions, where to watch, and more

VCT Masters Tokyo officially began on June 11, 2023, with four teams already facing the brink of elimination while one team has qualified for the brackets stage. The international tournament features the 12 best teams from the Pacific, China, the Americas, and EMEA regions. The event's winner secures their region an extra spot during the Last Chance Qualifier for a place at Valorant Champions 2022.

Natus Vincere and EDward Gaming will face off against each other in the second elimination game of VCT Masters Tokyo 2023. These powerhouse teams will be looking to stay alive in the competition and must perform their best.

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Natus Vincere vs. EDward Gaming: Which team will be eliminated at VCT Masters Tokyo 2023?

Predictions

On paper, Natus Vincere (NAVI) has one of the strongest rosters in the VCT circuit. The former core of FunPlus Phoenix and superstar duelist Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek makes them a team filled with former world champions. Despite this, NAVI's form has been problematic and uninspiring relative to their expectations. They began LOCK//IN decently, but their performance deteriorated ever since.

Their first game at Masters Tokyo against North American rivals NRG was a close series as it went to all three games. NRG looked dominant in their wins, while NAVI showed commendable mental resilience to stage a comeback on the second map. NAVI 's performance has been hit-or-miss, with Dmitriy "SUYGETSU" Ilyushin and cNed being the only consistent forces on all three maps. The team compositions and players in different roles have also caused NAVI a lot of issues.

EDward Gaming has been one of the strongest teams in the Chinese Valorant region. They have undisputed regional success and are slowly ramping up internationally with eye-catching performances. Their display at Masters Tokyo has been no different, despite closely losing to Pacific's T1.

The standout player of the series was Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang on his signature agent, Jett. The Chinese superstar put up a career-defining performance and had multiple highlight moments. The rest of EDward Gaming was also impressive, with superb utility usage and impeccable trading under any circumstances. However, their questionable mid-round decision-making and indiscipline during key moments cost them the match.

Given the current form of both teams, this matchup will be much closer than fans might have expected before Masters Tokyo. EDward Gaming has shown real class and is capable of causing a big upset if NAVI does not wake up from their slumber as their hyper-aggressive playstyle. Despite this, NAVI should be the expected favorites as they have the experience and clutch factor during high-stakes situations.

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Head-to-head

This will be the first VCT game between EMEA's Natus Vincere and China's EDward Gaming

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Recent results

Natus Vincere's latest result at Masters Tokyo was a 1-2 loss against the second seed from the Americas region, NRG.

Similarly, EDward Gaming's latest result at Masters Tokyo was a 1-2 loss against the third seed from the Pacific region, T1.

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Expected rosters

Natus Vincere

• Kyrylo "ANGE1" Karasov (IGL)
• Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek
• Dmitriy "SUYGETSU" Ilyushin
• Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky
• Pontus "Zyppan" Eek
• Erik "d00mbr0s" Sandgren (Head Coach)

EDward Gaming

• Guo "Haodong" Haodong (IGL)
• Wan "CHICHOO" Shunzhi
• Wang "nobody" Senxu
• Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang
• Zhang "Smoggy" Zhao
• Lo "AfteR" Wen-hsin (Head Coach)

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When and where to watch

VCT fans worldwide can watch the elimination match between Natus Vincere and EDward Gaming on the official Valorant YouTube and Twitch channels. Fans can also tune in to watch parties of popular streamers such as Tarik.

Natus Vincere will face off against EDward Gaming on June 13, 2023, at 2:30 PM IST/11:00 AM CEST/2.:00 AM PDT