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VCT 2023: Pacific League is currently underway, with 10 of the best Valorant teams from the Asia Pacific region competing for glory and a chance at VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo and ultimately the Valorant Champions 2023. The tournament went live on March 25, 2023, and will continue until May 16, 2023. It is being organized by Riot Games and is taking place in Seoul, South Korea.
On Day 2 of the tournament, Valorant fans saw two of the most intense matches in the league so far. The first matchup was between Paper Rex and DetonatioN FocusMe. Paper Rex secured a flawless win with a score of 2-0.
However, the second matchup between Talon Esports and Team Secret was far more intriguing. The two teams were evenly matched, and the game had to move to the third map to determine the winner. Team Secret won the last map with a final scoreline of 2-1.
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In an exclusive interview, Rishabh Kalita from Sportskeeda Esports got the opportunity to have a conversation with Talon Esports' sushiboys. The esports athlete shared numerous details about his team's matchup, why they lost the deciding map against Team Secret, the responsibilities of a Sentinel in Valorant, and more.
TLN sushiboys goes in-depth on the role of Sentinels, his t upcoming opponents in VCT 2023: Pacific League, and more
Q. What do you think of your individual performance today?
sushiboys: On the second map of Icebox, I think I did pretty well. But on the last map, I think we were out of our form, and it wasn't to my expectations.
Q. How do you think your opponents performed today? Did you face any unexpected challenges in today’s match against Team Secret?
sushiboys: We were not caught by surprise, but it was just our performance that didn't match up to theirs. We tried to do our best, but it wasn't enough.
Q. Today's competition was intense, and the two teams were evenly matched. What, in your view, were the areas where Talon could have improved to become a more dominant team, especially on Ascent?
sushiboys: Probably the teamwork that we had, the utility usage, and the communication that we had were not as per our expectations. That's why we didn't perform so well on Ascent.
Q. Speaking of Ascent, can you tell us why didn’t you play the map?
sushiboys: It's because my main is usually Killjoy and Cypher. So, when we wanted to put Sage into the composition, it is better for Pati (Patiphan) to play Sage.
Q. Despite losing the initial map, your team completely took over Team Secret on Icebox. What adjustments did you make to witness such a significant improvement in your team's performance?
sushiboys: It's the map that we are always comfortable in, and I think the performance I have on the map has been repeated on a lot of scrims. I am just doing the job I am supposed to do, and I am doing it really well. That's why I think we managed to secure the second map.
Q. What was your biggest takeaway from VCT LOCK//IN 2023 that you guys incorporated into your preparations for this tournament?
sushiboys: Probably the styles and the plays we have seen from a lot of teams in the league. We try to incorporate their strategies. If they are good, we try to improve them and make them our own.
Q. You will be facing T1 next. Yesterday after defeating Global Esports, xeta from T1 stated that Talon’s playstyle is readable. What do you have to say about this?
sushiboys: We just let them think that we are readable, and we'll just try to show it on the stage that we got something else.
Q. You mostly play the role of a Sentinel. Being a Sentinel, you are the first line of defense for your team, and it involves a lot of responsibility. How do you handle that kind of pressure, especially in high-stakes tournaments like the VCT 2023: Pacific League?
sushiboys: There's no pressure because I have been playing this Sentinel role for quite some time, and I have adapted a lot, trying to learn new strategies and new things that I can come up with the Agents. So, there's not much pressure on me; just trying to do my job.
Q. Moving on with the topic of the Sentinel role, what do you think are the most important skills for a Sentinel player to have in Valorant?
sushiboys: On attack, probably watch flank and try to play post plants or trade out people on site when we push. But on defense, probably stall as much time as possible for the team to rotate into the bomb site I am holding to be able to crunch them in the bomb.
Q. Which teams do you consider to be your biggest threats in VCT 2023: Pacific League and why?
sushiboys: Paper Rex because they are a bit unpredictable, and they just have the W gaming entry fraggers, and it's hard for us to know when they are coming.
Talon Esports' next opponent in VCT 2023: Pacific League is T1. The match is scheduled to take place on April 1, 2023, in Seoul, South Korea.
