The battle between giants lived up to the hype, as Gen.G narrowly edged out Fnatic in a nail-biting series to advance to the 2025 VALORANT Masters Toronto Upper Bracket Semifinals. A match defined by razor-thin margins and extended delays due to persistent technical issues, the win didn’t come easy—but Gen.G ultimately prevailed, sending the EMEA powerhouse down to the lower bracket.

With little time to rest, the Korean squad now turns their attention to the underdogs of Wolves Esports, who have been quietly climbing the bracket with a string of impressive performances. In an exclusive interview, Controller and Flex player Kim "Karon" Won-tae joins Sheep Esports to reflect on the marathon match, expectations for his team, and what lies ahead.

You took down a powerful opponent in Fnatic today. What did you think about the match, and did it go the way you expected it would?

Kim "Karon" Won-tae: "Coming into today’s match, I was reminded that Fnatic is an insanely good team. It actually brought back memories of last year in Shanghai, when we also faced them and won in a similar way. During the second and third maps, they were able to fix a lot of their mistakes and adjust to their earlier problems. The first seed curse seem to be in full effect. Maybe being first seed isn’t such a good thing.

Gen.G has been dominant in pistol rounds—what makes your team so strong in those compared to others?

Karon: Our coaching staff is extremely focused on what each individual wants to do in those pistol rounds. They lay out all the strategies—what we need to do, what we shouldn’t do, and so on. It’s all thanks to them.

Everyone—from fans to casters—is calling Gen.G one of the best teams in the world and a favorite to win Masters Toronto. Do you agree? And do you think other teams are right to fear Gen.G right now?

Karon: I know everyone’s saying that Gen.G is one of the strongest teams in the world, but we should stay tense throughout the whole tournament—because you never know what can happen. Until we actually win the whole thing, I’m not going to let my guard down. And about whether Gen.G will win Toronto—well, just like every team here probably believes they can win, we believe it too. But again, I won’t relax until it’s really over.

You’re facing Wolves next—a team that just beat RRQ, who had previously defeated you in the Pacific League. And looking further ahead, strong teams like Sentinels, who beat you last year in Madrid and at Champions, are still in the tournament. Which team do you see as your biggest threat right now?

Karon: Every single team in this tournament is extremely good, but if I had to choose, it would be Sentinels—because we’ve had this rivalry since last year. I also feel like whenever we play them, they really study us throughout the whole map and always find ways to beat us. As for the next match against Wolves... I guess it’ll just be another Karon show.

Do you think the 2025 Gen.G roster is stronger than last year’s? A lot of people loved the 2024 lineup too, but with the roster changes and more time together now, how do the two compare?

Karon: Comparing last year and this year is kind of hard, because both rosters had clear pros and cons. Both years were really strong, with good performances and achievements, so there’s no real standard to say which one is better. I’d say this year is just as good as last year—but it’s really hard to say for sure.

You’ve played alongside Kim "t3xture" Na-ra for a while now, and today he really popped off. What are your thoughts on his growth and continued performance?

Karon: The chemistry I have with t3xture has been really good over the years, and that helps both of us feel more comfortable and perform better in games. He also has a really strong presence in the team—he makes others feel comfortable both in and out of the game, and he’s a really positive influence overall.

Did you ever apologize to him for stealing his ace against PRX?

Karon: Did I apologize for stealing his ace? Absolutely not. Whether it's regionals or internationals, when he gets four kills, our win rate is 80%. But when he gets an ace, it’s 0. So I tried my best to steal that last kill."