T1 and Team Liquid will need to win Swiss Stage Round 3 to join EDG and Team Vitality in the Playoffs.
The pressure is mounting at the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Masters Bangkok 2025 as the Elimination Matches in the Swiss Stage continued on Sunday (23 February), with four teams battling for survival and a chance to join EDward Gaming and Team Vitality in the Playoffs.
In the end, 
T1and 
Team Liquid emerged victorious, with T1 delivering a dominant 2-0 sweep over 
Trace Esports while Team Liquid secured a hard-fought 2-1 upset against 
Sentinels.
Alll four teams suffered 2-0 sweeps in round 1, where T1 fell to Team Vitality, Trace struggled against G2, Sentinels lost to DRX, and Team Liquid failed to challenge EDG. With all teams facing elimination in Round 2, they fought fiercely to keep their tournament hopes alive.
Here’s how the matches went:
T1 sweep Trace Esports
T1 may have struggled against a strong Vitality in Round 1, but the South Korean team were more decisive and confident in Round 2 against Chinese team Trace.
In the first game on Lotus, T1 quickly picked up nine rounds in the first half of the match, while Trace barely caught up, only taking three wins in the first half. However, the South Korean team quickly ended the game, sweeping the second half 4-0, and winning the first map in a dominant 13-3.
Trace fought back in the first half of the second game on Haven maintaining a tie against the Pacific’s second seed. However, T1 reclaimed map dominance in the second half, finishing the second half with a 7-2, to win the second map and the series 13-8.
Team Liquid upset Sentinels
On the other hand, tournament favourites Sentinels and Liquid fought tooth-and-nail against each other to survive Round 2.
In the first game on Lotus, Liquid copied DRX’s team composition and map strategy against Sentinels. However, the North American team came prepared and quickly dismantled Liquid’s strategy, winning the first half 7-5. Taking advantage of the momentum, Sentinels dominated the second half 6-2, to win the first map 13-7.
With their backs against the wall, Liquid fought back in the second game on Abyss, staying neck-and-neck with the VCT Americas Kickoff champions and securing a 7-5 lead in the first half. Sentinels, however, refused to back down, as both teams engaged in aggressive, scrappy fights, trading rounds evenly until the second half, where the score reached 12-12, forcing overtime.
Both teams remained deadlocked at 13-13 after two overtime rounds, extending the battle even further. Eventually, Team Liquid broke through, closing out the map 16-14 and forcing a third-game decider.
In the final game on Bind, Liquid dominated Sentinels, winning 10 rounds in a row and giving them no room to breathe. Sentinels managed to take a round before halftime, but Liquid still held a commanding 11-1 lead. With momentum fully on their side, Liquid wasted no time in closing the game, securing two swift rounds to crush Sentinels 13-1 and claim a commanding series victory.
With their wins, both T1 and Liquid will have one more chance in Round 3 to qualify for the Playoffs. Matchups have not been announced as of time of writing.
Meanwhile, both Trace Esports and Sentinels bow out of the competition in 7th-8th place, taking home $10,000 in consolation.
