EDG and G2 defeated T1 and Team Vitality on the first day of playoffs at Masters Bangkok

EDward Gaming take down T1 in close 2-1 affair in the opener of the playoffs.

The first game of the playoffs saw T1 go up against EDG for the first time this year, and the Pacific reps chose the first map of play to be Split. EDG started on the attack, with a Jett-Breach-Tejo-focused attacking core. They got off to a 10-0 start on their opponent’s map pick. T1 stabilized a little with the last two rounds in the half, but EDG winning the pistol and antieco got them to 12-2. Despite T1 stringing together another five rounds, the damage had been done and EDG eventually won a round to take Split 13-7 and gain the advantage. 

CHICHOO had the highest ACS on the server, and him and his lurks were a key factor in EDG’s win.

The second map Bind had a much more even first half, with T1 opening off with a pistol win and carrying that advantage forward into a 7-5 half in their favor. T1 after the sideswap, looked to be a whole other beast, winning five straight rounds to get to match point. The Chinese representatives only won one round in the half, and T1 would force a decider map after beating EDG 13-6. BuZz and Meteor were the heroes for T1, the former on attack while the latter was a key factor in T1’s defense.

(Photo courtesy of YiCun Liu/Riot Games)

Map three was Pearl where T1 and EDG once again experienced a spate of back and forth rounds similar to Bind, which culminated in a more even 6-6. T1 won four out of the next five rounds to get to a scoreline of 10-7, but EDG regrouped a little to narrow the margin to 9-11. EDG would win the next four rounds to win 13-11, denying T1 overtime and cementing their spot in the upper final. CHICHOO was the MVP of both the map and series, with 72 kills across three maps and a +29 kill differential.

T1 will fight Vitality in the lower bracket while EDG and G2 square off for a spot in the grand finals.

G2 Esports knock Vitality down to the lower bracket with a 2-0 win

Vitality took an early 3-0 lead before G2 bounced back 4-3. G2 only got one more round in the half, however, which meant the EMEA reps ended the half with a 7-5 advantage. VIT once again took a 10-5 lead, which they pushed up to 12-8. G2 won four crucial rounds to push the map to OT which also restored their momentum, enabling them to eventually stake a claim on Bind and net them the lead in the series.

Map two was Lotus, where G2 found a 6-1 lead, the sole round for Vitality being a thrifty round won thanks to a 3K from Less. After one more of those eco-round wins, Vitality began the comeback that saw the half ending 6-6. The second half saw G2 win out the pistol, antieco, and crucially, the bonus round, leading to a 10-6 lead. Despite VIT attempting to narrow the gap by winning the next two rounds, G2 had the momentum and closed out the map 13-9.

(Photo courtesy of YiCun Liu/Riot Games)

For G2, leaf was the MVP, with 304 ACS, 52 kills, and a +19 kill differential. With this win, G2 will go up against EDG, a rematch that EDG came out on top last time. Meanwhile, T1 and Vitality will fight to stay alive at Masters Bangkok in a lower bracket game tomorrow.