On the first day of the North American VCT Playoffs for Stage Two, Evil Genuises surprised again by taking their first VALORANT playoff match 2-0 over Ghost Gaming.
Map one took the teams to Ghost’s pick of Breeze, where the team had an 18-game undefeated streak prior to tonight. Unfortunately for Ghost, EG continuously disrupted their rhythm and they were never able to execute concrete setups on attack.
Notably absent from the first half of the map was NiSMO, who has been one of the top-performing VALORANT stars in NA so far this stage.
With EG leading 7-5 at the half, Ghost decided to take an aggressive approach to the pistol round, which paid off as they took round 13. Things were looking up until EG took three of their attack rounds in a row and Ghost were forced to take a timeout. Eventually Ghost would lose their map pick with a final score of 13-8.
The teams then headed to EG’s map pick of Icebox, which analyst Ender reminded viewers was certainly not a guaranteed win for the team. After they struggled in Stage One, many fans had low expectations for EG leading into the middle of the year. The team has approached most of their matches in Stage Two as underdogs, and this game was no different.
On Icebox, C0M and Boostio both brought their A-game.
The coordination of the team in their executes was evident, with masterful positioning and teamwork that would see EG take six rounds before Ghost could even get one on the board. Thankfully for Ghost, they came back with six excellent rounds of their own to make the scoreline 6-6 at the half.
But on defense, EG showed up yet again, starting with one of their signature pistol round wins. C0M, with his excellent dart usage, was able to stand his ground on defense and not overcommit by playing too aggressively.
As the second half evolved into heavier buy rounds, Boostio showed why he is one of the best Chamber players in NA right now, not only utilizing the VALORANT agent’s ultimate ability with expert aim but also showcasing his game sense with the Operator. Despite whiffing some easier shots, Boostio hit others that left viewers in awe. C0M also continued to excel in the later rounds of the map.
EG took Icebox 13-9, sweeping Ghost in a surprise upset.
“We’re a different team now, we have a different morale,” C0M said in his post-match interview when asked about how EG has progressed since Stage One. “There’s just a different vibe.”
EG’s next challenge is a rematch of one of their most exciting VALORANT games so far this stage, as they face Masters One winners OpTic on June 18 at 6pm CT.
