VCT Masters: Reykjavik Players To Watch – SEA

Perhaps the most overlooked team at the tournament, X10 is a squad almost no one has heard of. At VALORANT Champions Tour Masters 2: Reykjavik, X10 will face the worlds top teams and are severely disadvantaged going in to the event. While they don’t have many things going for them, their quick adaptation to the ongoing Viper and Astra meta gives them a great chance. Nutchaphon “sScary” Matarat will be the main player at Masters 2 to give his team the edge.

X10 and sScary

VALORANT is sScary’s first professional esport. The Thai player first signed to Overtime Esports as part of their first VALORANT roster. However, after winning the ESL Open series Thailand, the team’s results tapered off. After hearing about fellow teammate Teerasak “PinOcChiOs” Kedaim wanting to leave, he also started to look for other opportunities. Fifteen days after leaving Overtime, he signed to X10 as part of their VALORANT division.

Before their qualifying run to get to Masters 2, the top team in South East Asia was undetermined. In addition to X10, teams such as Crazy Racoon, Absolute Jupiter, and Paper Rex were all fighting for the spot. Going into the VCT Challengers stages, X10 were only a few months old as a team. In the Stage 1 Challenger 1 qualifier, X10 beat four teams on their way to qualifying for Stage 1. They earned their spot and proved their regional contender status even after they lost in the finals to Foxy Araikordai. In their time leading up to Masters 2, X10 has only lost three out of 41 games.

With only three losses, many may expect X10 to be an all aim team. The opposite is true. X10 started using Astra on almost every map earlier than most other teams and revolutionized the way she is played. The Thai player pilots the character and uses her perfectly in various situations. Sentinels player Jared “zombs” Gitlin told Upcomer as Astra, “you have to be hyperaware of everything happening on the map so you can help your team.” Without sScary, X10 would have entirely different results and may not have qualified.

X10 at VCT Masters 2

X10 and  sScary have a hard road ahead at Masters 2. But, unlike other teams, their ability to adapt and play on a high level is there with sScary on Astra or Viper. X10 will play Tuesday, May 25 against Team Vikings, a top Brazilian team. With a great structure to their team, X10 may stand a great chance to make a long tournament run at VCT Masters 2.