Team Secret had no business keeping close with VCT Masters: Berlin champion Gambit Esports. But the Filipino quartet was not given that notice.
The all-Filipino squad put up a gallant stand against Gambit, falling 1-2, to open their Valorant Champions campaign, Friday (Manila time) in Berlin, Germany.
The quintet of Kevin “Dispenser” Te, Jim “BORKUM” Timbreza, Jayveee “DubsteP” Paguiran, Riley “Witz” Go, and Jessie “JessieVash” Cuyco surprised in the Icebox map, winning the round 13-6.
Patience was the key for Team Secret in the round, leading 8-4 before the switch with Dispenser tallying 14 frags.
Though Nikita “d3ffo” Sudakov did his best to rally Gambit back, Team Secret was able to keep their poise to score the opening map upset.
Gambit though was able to knot things up with a clean 13-0 sweep of the Breeze map.
In the decider set at the Bind, Secret went up early, leading 4-2, before Gambit took charge.
Ayaz “nAtS” Akhmetshin and Gambit were able to gain the economy afterward and never looked back.
Gambit took the series with a 13-6 win.
The loss dropped Secret to the loser’s bracket showdown against Japan’s Crazy Raccoon while Gambit will go up against Brazil’s Viking. Both games will be played on Sunday.
Only the top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the knockout stage.
