G2 Esports secured a convincing 2-0 victory over the Chinese squad TYLOO in their opening match at VALORANT Champions Shanghai. This result sets up the four-time regional champions for a clash with Paper Rex, who earlier played a tense match against Team Liquid. Meanwhile, China's first seed, TYLOO, will face Team Liquid in the elimination match.
This victory was the result of G2 Esports' renewed approach and high motivation. According to Jacob "valyn" Batio, past failures and falling short of their own expectations only fueled their desire to win. The player emphasized that performing on stage brought him immense joy and expressed confidence in the team's ability to fight for the championship trophy. Head coach Josh "JoshRT" Lee added that the squad often started international tournaments slowly in the past due to overconfidence following regional victories. Since G2 did not win their region this time, they arrived in Shanghai with a greater desire to prove themselves, shifting their focus to maximum concentration during practice and creating a low-stress environment outside the arena.
A crucial component of the team's success was the successful adaptation of players to new roles, which is especially important ahead of the anticipated match against Paper Rex. Andrej "babybay" Francisty spoke about his transition from the aggressive Duelist role he played on FaZe in 2020–2021 to the Sentinel position. He highlighted the coach's key role in helping him master the philosophy of the new role, which required significant trust in the practice process. Speaking about the upcoming match, babybay expects a classic and thrilling game. He noted that unlike their previous tense encounter in Santiago, G2 is now playing much more loosely and is ready to show their absolute best, acknowledging that their opponent also received a confidence boost.
For TYLOO, their performance in Shanghai marked their first international experience, forcing them to rethink their game. Xie "hypnotizing" Haozhi took the defeat constructively, comparing it to their loss against JDG during Stage 2, and noted that identifying mistakes at an early stage will strategically help the team. In-game leader Pong "SiuFatBB" Ka Hei, while expressing pride in the opportunity to represent his region, acknowledged that they faced issues. Analyzing the game on Sunset, where TYLOO previously held a flawless 6-0 record, the captain explained that after losing the first map, the team succumbed to stage nerves and lost their usual rhythm. SiuFatBB openly took responsibility for several flawed tactical decisions, assuring that the squad will carefully analyze this experience before their crucial elimination game in the tournament.
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