As Team Secret secured their third win of the year at the start of
VCT Pacific Stage 2, the Philippine organization will have to play without Sentinel Jonathan "
naTz" Adiputra for its upcoming series against Paper Rex, sources told
Sheep Esports, as first reported by valohabercisi on
X. According to our information, naTz is expected to miss the match due to visa-related issues but should return for the series against DetonatioN FocusMe on August 7.
As a result, one of the team's coaches, Felipe "
skyeSG" Lim, who joined at the start of the split, will step in for the player against regional powerhouse Paper Rex in a match scheduled for Friday, July 31. Currently sitting at one win and two losses in the Omega Group, Team Secret desperately needs a victory over PRX. Otherwise, the team could find itself in a very difficult position at the bottom of the standings and be forced to go through the Play-In instead of qualifying directly for the playoffs.
A playoff appearance is something the organization has not achieved since 2024, following a difficult 2025 season, with 2026 shaping up in much the same way. After being eliminated in 11th-12th place at Kickoff following three consecutive losses to begin the year, Team Secret managed just a single win during the Stage 1 group stage, falling short of a playoff berth once again. With this year's new format introducing a Play-In, the Philippine
VALORANT squad is guaranteed to play additional matches after the group stage. However, it remains difficult to imagine the team turning things around in just a few days and producing a major result.
After beginning his career as a player, skyeSG quickly transitioned into coaching, eventually serving as Head Coach of RRQ Academy for nearly a year. Following a few months away from competition, he returned to the VCT by joining Team Secret. Alongside Head Coach Peter "Spin" Bradford, who arrived with him, the coaching duo appears to have implemented a very specific system. Across Team Secret's first three series of the split, naTz has exclusively played Cypher, aside from a single appearance on Waylay against VARREL. As a result, it seems likely that skyeSG will inherit that role against PRX.
