Following a disappointing result in this second match of
VALORANT Champions Paris on Wednesday against Team Heretics, T1 addressed the media, answering questions about potential opponents in the elimination round, the reasons for today’s defeat, and their plans for improvement. The head coach and players emphasised the importance of clean late-round play and rapid adjustments before the next match.
Questions for Kim "stax" Gu-taek:
What would it mean to face G2 Esports again at this stage, with possible elimination on the line?
Kim "stax" Gu-taek: "We definitely could have taken the win today, and I’m sorry we didn’t. We have time to focus on what needs to be fixed, and we’ll put that work in. Whether it’s G2 Esports or DRG (Dragon Ranger Gaming), I’m confident we’ll come out stronger.
As an IGL, were there any calls you wish you had changed, particularly around rotations against Heretics?
stax: It wasn’t an issue of overall strategy or a single bad call. Our communication was active, and everyone contributed. The problem was the accumulation of trivial mistakes in key moments. Those small errors, not a lack of ideas, cost us.
Questions for Yoon "Autumn" Eu-teum:
What do you think you need to improve for the next match? This is for the head coach.
Yoon "Autumn" Eu-teum: We gave away too many clutches in crucial rounds positions we should have converted. Priority one is to stop that from happening again.
Photo by Adela Sznajder/Riot Games
We noticed struggles in post-plant situations on both maps. In your opinion, what went wrong strategically?
Autumn: Our opponents were very well prepared for retakes. We’re not a team that gets overrun easily, but split-second miscommunications and lapses in decisiveness hurt us. Those moments, more than the overall game plan, swung the post-plants against us.
Question for Yu "Buzz" Byeong-cheol:
What do you think you need to improve as a team member, and how do you assess the current field at Champions?
Yu "Buzz" Byeong-cheol: I’m definitely saddened we couldn’t close this one out. There were games and rounds we could have taken. We prepared well and felt confident in our teamwork, it came down to small mistakes that snowballed into the final result. As for the event, the best teams in the world are here. You can’t let your guard down every detail matters, because minor errors add up quickly at this level.
Question for Kim "Meteor" Tae-oh:
Did you expect Heretics to start this strongly, or was their level a surprise?
Kim "Meteor" Tae-oh: We believe we could have beaten Heretics; we simply weren’t at our best today. The main takeaway is that our mistakes are now crystal clear, and we know what to fix moving forward. We’ll regroup and aim to take the next one."
Header credit photo: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
