VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland Day 1 preview: A first taste

It’s finally here. International Valorant competition starts today, May 24, in Reykjavik with VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland. It’ll be a treat, with a first taste of which region stacks up with some scintillating matchups right off the bat.

It’s been a long time coming. Almost 12 months to the day since Valorant first launched across the globe, we’re finally going to find out who had the best read of the meta all this time.

VCT Stage 2 Masters in Reykjavik, Iceland gives Valorant fans across the world a taste of international competition for the first time. 10 teams from seven regions across the globe are fighting it out for a share of $600,000 and ultimate bragging rights.

Day 1 of the action is set to get off to a thrilling start, with three potentially tight matchups awaiting us. Here’s what you need to know.

Fnatic vs KRU Esports

Just how good is Europe versus the rest of the world? We’re about to find out. A lot of pundits ⁠— us included ⁠— have the European teams pretty high up on the power rankings. Fnatic has shown a lot in the last few weeks, especially since their roster shuffles.

The addition of Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev alone has turned Fnatic into a more solid squad, giving them a bit more reliable fragging power and an insane one-two punch with Domagoj ‘Doma’ Fancev. They’re arguably the most lethal duo in Valorant right now.

• Read More: VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland power rankings

KRU are going to have to pull out all the stops to try and stop Fnatic from running away with this game in a 2-0.

They do have some flexibility in their squad, and a special mention does need to be made to just how wide an Agent pool they have. However, whether they have finessed their comps to counter the Fnatic play style remains to be seen.

Thrive Fantasy Props

• Boaster (FNC): 65.5 total kills and deaths
  • Over = 95 points
  • Under = 105 points
• Mazino (KRU): 36.5 total kills
  • Over = 90 points
  • Under = 110 points
• Mistic (FNC): 39.5 total deaths
  • Over = 110 points
  • Under = 90 points

Version1 vs Crazy Raccoon

If Version1 were at full strength, this match would be a lot more tantalizing. It’d be North America’s surprise entry versus Japan’s newest hope in Valorant. However, with a substitute, it almost seems a bit pre-determined.

Yes, Version1 is good, and losing their latest recruit Maxim ‘wippie’ Shepelev for Jamal ‘jammyz’ Bangash isn’t the end of the world.

But they’re facing off against a Crazy Raccoon roster that has taken Japan by storm in 2021, and are fighting to prove East Asia has a place in tactical FPS esports. Crazy Raccoon can be a bit of a one-man army behind Byeon ‘Munchkin’ Sang-beom and his Raze, but Yusuke ‘neth’ Matsuda has proven to be no slouch on Killjoy.

• Read More: Will banned CS:GO prodigy Jamppi be Liquid’s saviour?

Without any scrims or previous international games to go off, it’s infinitely harder to predict what will happen. However, you’d have to guess the full-strength Japanese roster would have a lot more going for them than a squad with a substitute.

Thrive Fantasy Props

• Munchkin (CR): 41.5 total kills
  • Over = 100 points
  • Under = 100 points
• penny (V1): 40.5 total deaths
  • Over = 105 points
  • Under = 95 points
• Zellsis (V1): 97.5 total kills and deaths
  • Over = 110 points
  • Under = 90 points

Sharks vs NUTURN Gaming

This is the battle of two teams very few people expect to make it here from their respective regions. Sharks come in as Brazil’s second seed, having taken down titanic names like Gamelanders and FURIA on their way to an Iceland berth.

NUTURN slayed Valorant’s Korean kings Vision Strikers to book their tickets to Reykjavik too. It means neither squad has a lot of expectations on their shoulders, and that should make for some pretty thrilling Valorant.

One would expect NUTURN to have the upper hand. The new kings of Korean Valorant have a great mix of brains (Kang ‘solo’ Keun-chul is a 15-year esports veteran with CS 1.6 experience) and brawn (keep a specific eye on Lakia and Suggest, who both step up supportive Agents to lead from the front).

• Read More: The Valorant genius primed to upset VCT Masters

However, Sharks have already caused a myriad of upsets on the way to Iceland, and they have no plans on slowing down now. No matter which way this series swings, you can expect it to go the distance in a thrilling three-mapper.

Thrive Fantasy Props

• allow (NU): 27.5 total kills
  • Over = 80 points
  • Under = 120 points
• DeNaro (SHA): 58.5 total kills and deaths
  • Over = 90 points
  • Under = 110 points
• fra (SHA): 20.5 total kills
  • Over = 85 points
  • Under = 115 points
• Peri (NU): 32.5 total deaths
  • Over = 100 points
  • Under = 100 points

VCT Stage 2 Masters Iceland gets underway on May 24.

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