The Masters Madrid winners and arguably the best team in the world, Sentinels, are out of contention for Masters Shanghai after failing to qualify for the play-offs in VCT Americas.
Dropping games to Evil Geniuses, Leviatan and LOUD mean that they were mathematically eliminated from play-offs as only the top three teams from their group made it through with G2 making it above them in round differential by just two rounds.
However, another team that has let the world down, is NRG. They go out of play-offs after not even qualifying for one international event so far after losing to Sentinels in VCT Americas kick-off and now bombing out of Stage 1 despite having, on paper, the best roster in the world, with the additions of Demon1 and Ethan who were from the world champions winning side Evil Geniuses and Demon1 being the most sought after player in the world.
Despite being two of the best players from that squad of 5 from last year, they were unable to defeat any of their former team mates this year which included an utterly embarrassing defeat to Leviatan where they only managed a total of 8 rounds across the two maps. Leviatan is now home to c0m who won the Champions title alongside Demon1 and Ethan.
On paper, Sentinels and NRG should have had near to no problems making it through to play offs with the compeition in their group being the 2023 worst team in Americas, KRU and the ”tier 2” Cloud9, who both majorly over performed and went 5-1 in their series whilst SEN and NRG went 3-3 shocking the world.
VCT Americas Kick-off start tonight with Cloud9 playing G2 Esports looking to knock each other out of play-offs in this one and done game.
Another knockout game could see LOUD dropping out of Master Shanghai contention with a tough game against 100Theives who already look a lot better than their kick-off form with Champions winning IGL, Boostio, transforming this roster after putting Cryo, onto the smokes role and allowing Asuna to take up the Raze as he used to do back in 2021.
These games will decide who will go on to face off against KRU Esports and Leviatan with both of those teams looking on form hoping for a spot in Masters Shanghai to Join Paper Rex, T1, GenG from the APAC side with the other regions yet to play off.
Power Pitches 