Gen.G became the first team from VCT Pacific and South Korea to win a major Valorant trophy at VCT Masters Shanghai. Overcoming challenges both on and off the server.
The South Korean team consists mostly of FPS veterans, many with backgrounds in Counter-Strike or Overwatch. Their coach, Kang ‘solo’ Keun-chul, is an FPS legend and was part of the first Korean team to make a deep run at a Valorant Masters event.
Every member of Gen.G, from solo to rookie Kim ‘Karon’ Won-tae, was eager to prove they belonged on a Grand Final stage. Before the 2024 season began.
Kim ‘t3xture’ Na-ra and Byeon ‘Munchkin’ Sang-beom were seeking redemption after disappointing 2023 seasons. As t3xture failed to qualify for an international event with Global Esports, and Munchkin struggled with T1 at the highest level.
Underperformers
Kim ‘Lakia’ Jong-min and solo had spent the previous season in Challengers Korea, far from their 2021 peaks. The like of Kim ‘Meteor’ Tae-o, the one constant from the previous year, had the skills to compete at the highest level. But lacked major hardware to prove his talent. Karon, who hadn’t played on a LAN stage before January 2024, wanted to show he was more than just a ranked star.
“When I first joined this Korean roster, we were just a group of people desperate for a chance to prove ourselves, and that made us push more and work really hard. As we said, we don’t slack off,” said Gen.G’s strategic coach Kim ‘HSK’ Hae-seong.
Gen.G burst onto the international stage by unexpectedly dominating the VCT Pacific Kickoff tournament, beating favorites Paper Rex and DRX to secure the top seed for Masters Madrid. Despite a strong start in Madrid, they struggled in the Grand Finals, losing to Sentinels 3-2. Solo attributed the loss to a weak mentality and repeated mistakes.
Learn from experience
Determined to learn from their experience, Gen.G returned to VCT Pacific, placed first in their group, and qualified for Masters Shanghai after defeating T1 in the playoffs. At Shanghai, they were not underestimated and progressed smoothly through the Swiss Stage.
Team Heretics, with stand-in players and position swaps, emerged as a surprise contender. Mert ‘Wo0t’ Alkan excelled in the Duelist role, and along with former Fortnite player Benjy ‘benjyfishy’ Fish and Turkish phenom Enes ‘RieNs’ Ecirli, they made it to the Grand Finals.
In the final best-of-five, Gen.G was down 2-1 but managed to rally and avoid repeating their mistakes from Madrid. They dominated the last two maps, with t3xture and Meteor showcasing their hard work over the past two years.
“No words can describe how I feel. That trophy right there, I’ve been chasing it forever,” said t3xture. “Why is it so tough? But in the end, it was worth it… I would like to thank my mom because I couldn’t see her for two years because I was too busy practicing and trying to get my hands on the trophy.”
Through sheer will and endless practice, Gen.G gave VCT Pacific its first Masters trophy.
“No tears will be shed tonight, I will not cry today,” t3xture said.