The first set of elimination games officially concluded on Day 3 of VCT Masters Tokyo 2023 Playoffs. EDward Gaming continued their Cinderella run by eliminating former world champions and LOCK//IN runners-up, LOUD. NRG was comfortably able to dispatch a stagnant and uninspiring DRX leaving Paper Rex as the sole representative from the Pacific region still remaining in the competition.
Day 3 was filled with elation and heartbreak for the teams and their players. The games also had amazing moments with exhilarating clutches and beautiful multikills during high-pressure situations
Everything to know about VCT Masters Tokyo 2023 Playoffs Day 3
Match results
- EDward Gaming vs LOUD (Match 1): Lotus (13-6) and Fracture (13-10)
- DRX vs NRG (Match 2): Pearl (11-13) and Haven (5-13)
Top highlights
1) Nobody gets four kills to win the eco round
Nobody came up with four crucial kills in Round 14 on Lotus against LOUD. The Chinese player was able to use his Skye flash brilliantly to get the first kill with a Ghost before picking up a Vandal to land crisp shots onto the remaining three. This round gave a huge shift in momentum to EDward Gaming that they carried through to close out the map.
2) Less outsmarts EDG with the Viper's Pit
Felipe "Less" Basso was among the few bright spots in LOUD's loss against EDward Gaming on Day 3 of VCT Masters Tokyo 2023 Playoffs. Less had a phenomenal game on Fracture and pulled off a beautiful clutch to secure LOUD's fourth round. The play showcased Less's understanding of his agent and a perfect read on his opponents.
3) Nobody kills three LOUD players while stunned
Nobody came up huge again for EDward Gaming during a pivotal round on Fracture. He was caught by Cauan "cauanzin" Pereira's Rolling Thunder but managed to get three ridiculous kills while stunned.
This play secured a match point for EDward Gaming and sealed the deal on LOUD's hopes at VCT Masters Tokyo 2023.
4) FiNESSE leads by example
NRG's in-game leader Pujan "FiNESSE" Mehta salvaged an incredibly close round with three precise kills, with two coming in the post-plant scenario. FiNESSE opted not to use his ultimate and instead pushed through his Viper wall to catch the DRX players off guard, giving Victor "Victor" Wong enough time to get the defuse. It was an incredibly risky play that yielded a sweet reward for NRG as they closed out the map.
5) Ardiis eliminates DRX in style
DRX was getting annihilated on Haven, but things seemed hopeful in their retake on Round 18 as they quickly got A Long control by weeding out Austin "crashies" Roberts. However, Ardis "ardiis" Svarenieks took this opportunity to lurk all the way from the CT-spawn towards Heaven to demolish four DRX players stuck in A Long with his Bladestorm ultimate to close out the series.
Standings
The conclusion of the third day of VCT Masters Tokyo 2023 Playoffs was highlighted by the elimination of well-known and established teams, LOUD and DRX. Both were unable to win a single map during the playoffs stage. EDward Gaming and NRG advance further in the tournament, with their opponents being decided depending on the results on Day 4.
Schedule for Day 4
Fans can tune into the official Valorant Twitch and YouTube channels to watch the matches on Day 4 of VCT Masters Tokyo 2023 Playoffs. The schedule is as follows:
- Team Liquid vs Evil Geniuses (Match 1) - Monday, June 19 - 8:30 am IST / 5:00 am CEST / 8:00 pm PDT (Sunday, June 18).
- Paper Rex vs Fnatic (Match 2) - Monday, June 19 - 11:30 am IST / 8:00 am CEST / 11:00 pm PDT (Sunday, June 18).