Valorant Champions Tour 2024: Pacific Kickoff - Day 3 Recap

Day three of Valorant Champions Tour 2024: Pacific Kickoff turned out to be a crucial day of the event as the tournament witnessed the first elimination alongside two teams making it into the playoffs. The day started with the qualification match between Paper Rex and Gen.G, followed by Group A's knockout game between Global Esports and Bleed Esports. The day concluded with a playoff qualification match between the T1 and ZETA Division.

The reigning champions, Paper Rex, took down the Korean giants, Gen.G, in their first game of the season to qualify for the playoffs. Global Esports defeated Bleed Esports to register one of the first upsets of the season and eliminate Bleed Esports from the event. T1 ended the day on a high note by defeating ZETA and qualifying for the playoffs. Here's a recap of the third day of Valorant Champions Tour 2024: Pacific Kickoff.

Also Read: Valorant Challengers League 2024 Japan: Split 1 - Day 4 Results

Paper Rex, T1 Qualify For VCT 2024: Pacific Kickoff Playoffs; Bleed Esports Eliminated From The Tournament

Day three of VCT 2024: Pacific Kickoff started with the qualification game between Paper Rex and Gen.G. Gen.G started strong to push PRX on the back foot. While PRX equalized the scoreline to 6-6, Gen.G broke through PRX's defences to win the map with a 13-10 scoreline. To stop Gen.G from qualifying for the playoffs, PRX gave their all on the second map of Lotus. 

Despite struggling against Gen.G in the first half, PRX secured a solid 7-5 lead and continued to build their lead to win Lotus with a 13-10 scoreline. After two close maps, Paper Rex unleashed themselves on the decider map of Sunset. Paper Rex started on defence and Gen.G failed to decode PRX's plans, resulting in a mammoth 10-2 lead in the first half. Even though Gen.G retaliated in the second half, the lead from the first half helped PRX close the game in their favour. 

For the second game of the day, Bleed Esports went against Global Esports in the first knockout game of the tournament. The best-of-three series started in GE's favour as they found themselves a step ahead with a 7-5 half. In the second half, GE continued with the winning momentum to close the map with a 13-9 scoreline. Global Esports continued their winning mentality in the second map, Icebox. GE looked brutal as they won back-to-back rounds and clinched an 8-4 lead in the first half.

When it seemed that Global Esports would eliminate Bleed, Bleed bounced back in the second half. Bleed Esports won five back-to-back rounds to bring themselves into the game and slowly took the map away from GE to win it with a 13-10 scoreline. On the decider map of Split, Global Esports looked hungry to take down Bleed Esports with Russ leading the charge in the first half to secure an 8-4 lead. Despite Bleed's aggression in the second half, Benkai spearheaded Global Esports' path to victory to stop Bleed from equalizing the scoreline and winning the map with a 13-11 scoreline. 

For the third game of the day, T1 went against ZETA Division for the playoff qualification match. The first map of Ascent was closer than expected as both the teams were giving a cutthroat competition in the first half, with ZETA Division taking a slight edge with a 7-5 lead. T1 retaliated by winning six back-to-back rounds, but ZETA Division overpowered them and won the map with a 13-11 scoreline.

After a close defeat, T1 ensured that it would take revenge in the subsequent maps, starting from the second map of Lotus. T1 won back-to-back six rounds in the first half, adding to their 9-3 first-half scoreline. ZETA couldn't even touch T1, resulting in a 13-4 victory in T1's favour. The final map of Sunset replicates the second map but a little less brutal on ZETA. T1 ensured an 8-4 early lead in the first half, which helped them continue their momentum in the second half, resulting in a 13-7 victory.