MANILA - Last 2022, Pinoys sorely missed Valorant representation in the world stage as no Filipino team qualified for Valorant Champions in Turkey.
As the lone Pinoy representative team through the reformatted Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), which will have intra-continental leagues such as the VCT Pacific League in Seoul, Team Secret has the tall order of representing the country for a slot to both the VCT Masters in Japan, and VCT Champions to be held in Los Angeles.
Speaking during the VCT Pacific 2023 - Face Off, Jayvee "DubsteP" Paguirigan said Team Secret wants to prove its mettle after a dismal run last year that saw it crash out of the Champions Last Chance Qualifiers.
"First and foremost I want to qualify to Masters obviously so we can qualify to Champions. So that is the main goal for this year. Obviously we were lacking so much last year and we want to prove to everyone else that last year was last year and this year is this year," he said.
Team Secret was one of the first teams in Valorant Champions, when it was held in Berlin late 2021.
After spending much of their time playing from their boot camp in the Philippines, the rejuvenated Team Secret squad will be spending their summer at a cooler environment, which Jim "BORKUM" Timbreza says they have to adjust to.
Photo courtesy of Team Secret.
"[We have to] adjust to a different environment because of its cozy weather. Adjusting to the Pacific League is more like adjusting to more different play styles," BORKUM said.
Team Secret came off a monumental VCT LOCK//IN run where they swept European powerhouse Team Liquid, before being eliminated by Ukranian squad Natus Vincere.
Borkum relished the lessons learned from the Sao Paolo invitational tournament.
"I think the key learning from LOCK IN is that we must play hard, play smart and also have fun because facing NAVI I think everyone in the team didn't show their a-game that we want. So we got to live with it and we learn a lot from it," BORKUM said.
Team Secret will kick off its Pacific League campaign against all-Thai team Talon Esports on March 26.
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