The VCT AMERICAS 2024 KICK-OFF for Masters Madrid starts in the United States on February 16th. Saadhak, from LOUD, talked about their group at a recent media conference.
The tournament has three parts: group stage, play-in, and playoffs. The group stage has 3 groups—2 with 4 teams and 1 with 3 teams (total 11 teams). The groups are chosen based on last season and a lottery. Evil Geniuses go into groups with 3 teams, and the rest, 10 teams, are chosen by lottery.
LOUD got into Group B with 100 Thieves, Leviatán, and Sentinels. Some called it the “Group of Death,” and when asked about it, Saadhak said:
“I’m sure we’re in the toughest group. Sentinels have been doing great against Tier 2 teams in recent months. Leviatán changed players, so we need to see how they’ll do. 100 Thieves are a mystery; no info means no counter-strategy. That’s why I think this is the hardest group.”
“No easy wins. The American League is really tough. Many teams can do well internationally. We demand top-level skills from the start. We must be ready, maybe even more than last year.”
“We might be limited in prep without info on our opponent, but we have a good strategy to beat them. We need to be flexible and feel pressure on both sides. That will be a big factor. It’ll be a super interesting match.”
LOUD, with star player aspas gone, joins the VCT AMERICAS 2024 KICK-OFF in Los Angeles on the 17th. They had a tough time last year, but can they come back strong with new player QCK? Their first game is against the Sentinels.