Team Secret secures spot in VCT Pacific Playoffs

MANILA, Philippines – After a slow start in the 2024 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific Stage 1 with back-to-back loses, Team Secret has secured a playoffs spot after posting wins against Japan's DetonatioN FocusMe (DFM) and 2023 champions Paper Rex the past weekend.

The Adobo Gang, boasting of a full Filipino roster, started the season in disappointment after falling to South Korea's DRX and Indonesia's RRQ. They kept their playoff hopes alive by winning against Japan's ZETA Division the previous week but were up against tough opponents last Saturday — reigning champions and longtime rivals in the Southeast Asia Region, Singapore's Paper Rex.

But Team Secret did not falter as they faced the region's top team, securing what could be the upset of the tournament with a 2-0 sweep in maps Icebox and Sunset to give them another championship point in the league.

The Filipino team then faced DFM to better their chances for the playoffs. Team Secret took Lotus with an impressive 13-4 score but had wasted their 8-4 lead in Breeze as they conceded the map 9-13, forcing a decider in Sunset. 

The Adobo Gang went all out to secure their playoff spot with an incredible 12-0 run that DFM could not catch, to eventually win the series.

With one last week remaining in VCT Pacific's Regular Season, Team Secret along with South Korea's Gen.G Esports are the first teams from Group Alpha to secure their playoffs spot with a 3-2 win-loss record. The Adobo Gang will have their final regular season match-up on Sunday, 7 p.m. (Manila time), against Talon Esports.