Image: Riot Games
G2 Esports have handed reigning VALORANT world champions EDG their first loss of the tournament.
G2 Esports have become the first grand finalists of VALORANT Masters Bangkok after they pulled off a 2-0 upset sweep against reigning VALORANT world champions 
EDward Gaming (EDG) on Friday (28 February).
EDG had a dominant, undefeated run in the tournament prior to their showdown with G2, breezing through the first two rounds of the Swiss Stage to qualify for the Playoffs. Then, in the upper bracket semi-finals, they defeated Pacific second seed T1, 2-1, to reach the upper bracket finals.
Meanwhile, G2 started strong in the Swiss Stage but suffered a loss against EDG in the second round. G2 then bounced back with a 2-0 sweep over Team Liquid in the third round to secure their spot in the Playoffs. In the upper bracket semi-finals, G2 handed Team Vitality their first loss of the tournament in another 2-0 sweep.
It is worth noting that the current G2 Esports roster was the team that ascended from VCT Ascension Americas in 2024 and nearly missed out on competing due to their previous organisation failing to meet VALORANT developer Riot Games' requirements for a team to compete in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). However, G2 ended up meeting those requirements, allowing them to stay in the VCT.
G2 hand EDG their first loss at Masters Bangkok
In the first game on Lotus, EDG pulled ahead early, quickly overwhelming G2 with aggression. However, G2 maintained their discipline and forced EDG to play at their pace, allowing them to catch up to a 4-4 tie in the early game. After a timeout from EDG, G2 continued to take control, giving EDG barely any breathing room and ending the first half with a 7-5 lead in favour of the North American team.
Despite EDG’s attempts to adjust their strategy, they continued to struggle in the second half, while G2 looked well-prepared for the match-up. Finally, G2 closed out the game with a 6-3 run to win the first map 13-8.
The second game on Split played out similarly, with EDG starting strong in the early game. However, G2 once again quickly adapted, overwhelming them in the following rounds. Eventually, the first half ended in G2’s favour at 8-4. EDG continued to falter as G2 outplayed them round after round in the second half until G2 secured the game 5-3, winning 13-7 and closing out the series. The victory handed EDG their first loss of the tournament.
With this win, G2 have secured their spot in the grand final, where they await the winner of the lower bracket finals.
Meanwhile, EDG drop to the lower bracket final, where they will face the team that advances from the lower bracket semifinals.
