VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs Review: All eyes on EDG
Analyzing the Drama and Triumphs of the VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs
The 2023 VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs have given fans the tournament of a lifetime! We’re just days away from the Grand Final, and there have been Cinderella runs and major disappointments from the biggest teams in the world.
However, the two biggest stories from the VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs are LOUD’s winless run through their VCT schedule, EDward Gaming’s fantastic run, and their viewership through the tournament.
LOUD’s Disappointing Run
After making it to the LOCK//IN grand final in the maiden VALORANT Champions Tour 2023 season, LOUD has stumbled and fallen out of VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs without a single win.
Entering the competition as the first seed from the Americas, thus skipping the group stage altogether, LOUD lost against fellow NA representatives Evil Geniuses on June 15 before going down to EDward Gaming on June 18.
In the end, LOUD exited the VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs both mapless and winless in the tournament—far from many expectations for the squad. In previous tournaments, such as Champions 2022 and at LOCK//IN standings in São Paulo, LOUD has led the league in map flexibility, player talent, and strategy. Still, Masters Tokyo was a rare moment where they didn’t look good enough.
There were plenty of points of criticism for LOUD, from consistently running Erick “aspas” Santos on Neon instead of his traditional Jett to looking tactically weak with set plays compared to their two opponents. Either way, America’s top seed is heading back home winless.
EDG with the Highest Viewership at VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs
In both the groups and playoff stages of the VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs, one team, in particular, has earned everyone’s attention thanks to an incredible underdog run, with plenty tuning in to catch them live.
The Chinese representative EDward Gaming, in their third international tournament appearance, is going deep after a 2-0 win against LOCK//IN finalists LOUD in their second playoff game on June 18. They’ve drawn a lot of attention along the way, playing with house money and eliminating teams like NAVI, T1, and LOUD—teams fans expected to make it deeper in the tournament. Every tournament has its team that everyone loves, and this time, it’s the only Chinese team left standing at the VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs.
The team has a lot of curious eyes watching, seeing just how far this Chinese dream team can go. Most notably, their group stage win over NAVI on June 13 reached just shy of 400,000 viewers, according to EsportsCharts. Many thought viewership for the squad had peaked until their win over LOUD on June 18 registered a chart-topping 505,803 peak viewers.
EDG’s win over LOUD is the most viewed game in the tournament and the only one to top half a million viewers. EDG has three of the top six most viewed games in the VCT Masters Tokyo Playoffs and the most viewed group stage match with their NAVI series.
Unfortunately, EDG did bow out to Paper Rex yesterday, but their massive viewership and Cinderella run will not be forgotten!
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