by T1 has secured a spot in the VALORANT Masters Bangkok grand final after eliminating EDward Gaming (EDG) with a 3-1 victory in the lower bracket final.
The South Korean VALORANT squad’s dominant performance ensured a new tournament champion will be crowned as they now prepare to face G2 Esports in their first-ever grand final at a VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) global event.
T1’s Best-Ever Run Continues
Coming into the match, T1 and EDward Gaming had an even head-to-head record across all competitions, but EDG held the edge in official VCT series’, including a previous win in the first round of the playoffs.
The VALORANT Champions 2024 winners needed a victory to keep their Masters Bangkok title hopes alive, but T1 proved too strong, delivering a career-best international performance.
This was also a historic matchup for T1’s roster, as only Kim “Meteor” Tae-o had reached an international grand final before.
EDG, on the other hand, boasted an impressive record, having never lost a best-of-five series in VCT with an 8-0 official record and a 23-3 overall tally since Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang joined in 2022.
The veto process slightly favoured EDward Gaming, as both teams removed their weakest maps—Abyss and Lotus—before selecting a pool that left Pearl as the decider.
Bind, Haven, Fracture, and Split were played in sequence, setting up an intense battle.
THEY'VE DONE IT!@T1 advance to the Grand Finals of #VALORANTMasters Bangkok by eliminating the 2024 World Champions! pic.twitter.com/vpKLDdRtJv
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) March 1, 2025
Map 1: Bind (T1 Wins 13-4)
T1 wasted no time asserting dominance, with Meteor securing an ace in the very first round.
The South Korean squad’s defensive setups repeatedly stalled EDG’s B-site attacks, with Meteor leading the scoreboard with 19 kills and 421 Average Combat Score (ACS) by halftime.
The 9-3 advantage proved insurmountable, as T1 comfortably closed out Bind 13-4, despite EDG winning the second pistol round.
T1’s Coach Yoon “Autumn” Eu-teum reflected on the team’s mentality after the win by saying, “After losing to EDG earlier, we had nothing left to lose. Everyone stepped up to prove we can be the best.”
Map 2: Haven (T1 Wins 13-10)
Despite losing the pistol round, EDG gained early control, taking an 8-4 lead at halftime.
However, T1 staged an impressive comeback, fueled by Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul’s operator ace and clutch plays from their duelists.
After equalizing at 10-10, T1 reached match point with a successful fake before Ham “iZu” Woo-Joo closed the map in a 1v1 clutch, sealing Haven 13-10.
“The team believes in me. Everyone cheering for us makes me a great player,” Meteor said about his team and their fans.
Map 3: Fracture (EDG Wins 14-12)
EDward Gaming came out strong, winning the pistol and building a lead behind hero plays from Wan “CHICHOO” Shunzhi and Wang “Smoggy” Senxu.
T1 responded with a thrifty Sheriff 4K from BuZz, which shifted the momentum.
Despite this, CHICHOO’s last-second defuse and Smoggy’s heroics in a desperate 1v1 round forced overtime, where EDG secured a 14-12 win to stay alive.
Map 4: Split (T1 Wins 13-5)
T1 immediately reclaimed control on Split, with iZu’s Yoru wreaking havoc on defence.
His operator play and site holds shut down EDG’s B-site executes, leading to a 7-5 halftime advantage.
The second half was all T1, as Meteor’s lurks and an aggressive bonus round crushed EDG’s comeback hopes.
The Raze-Yoru double controller composition overwhelmed EDG, securing six straight rounds to close the series 13-5.
With the victory, T1 advances to face G2 Esports in the Masters Bangkok grand final, marking the first time the organisation has reached this stage in a VCT global event.
The grand final also guarantees a new champion, with either Meteor or G2’s Alexander “jawgemo” Mor joining the exclusive club of two-time winners.
The Grand Finalists at #VALORANTMasters Bangkok are set. pic.twitter.com/HGAUFPScFO
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) March 1, 2025
