EMEA on top and Pacific in trouble after the Masters London play-ins

The opening phase of Masters London concluded this Wednesday with the final two teams securing their places in the playoffs, meaning the complete bracket is now set. Following an opening stage that has already produced several surprises, four teams are already heading back home, providing an opportunity to look back at the key takeaways from the first five days of competition.

The first major point to note is that, for the first time since Masters Shanghai in 2024, all three representatives from the EMEA region have reached the playoffs. Team Vitality secured two victories in two matches to advance to the next stage, confirming the strong form they displayed at the end of VCT EMEA Stage 1 by defeating Dragon Ranger Gaming and FUT Esports. The latter required an additional series against NRG to secure qualification. The Turkish side has been rewarded for its convincing performances and unique playstyle within the region, which ultimately exposed NRG’s inconsistency throughout the tournament.

Unlike EMEA, the VCT Pacific teams, despite being considered one of the strongest regions, have disappointed during this opening week. The region's second seed, FULL SENSE, were eliminated after only two matches, losing to FUT and then to Global Esports despite Papaphat “Primmie” Sriprapha recording an impressive 73 kills across three maps in the decisive series.

The Indian organization followed them the next day after being eliminated by Xi Lai Gaming, who therefore reached the playoffs after falling short in their previous two international appearances. The Chinese side relied on a brilliant performance from Teng “happywei” Min-wei to avoid an early elimination against fellow VCT China representatives Dragon Ranger Gaming, before the entire team stepped up the following day to defeat Global Esports.

The double-elimination bracket draw was conducted a few minutes after the final Play-In match between XLG and Global Esports. As the tournament resumes this Friday, June 12, Paper Rex, now the last remaining representative of the Pacific region, will face in the upper bracket first round Leviatán, who also qualified for the playoffs with a flawless 2-0 record. In a rematch of the VCT EMEA Stage 1 final, Team Heretics will begin their Masters campaign against Team Vitality.

The following day, Chinese champions EDward Gaming will face FUT Esports, while Xi Lai Gaming will once again have to raise their level if they hope to challenge G2 Esports. Two matches will continue to be played each day, with the first series starting at 4 p.m., while the grand final of the event is scheduled for June 21.