Coaches Criticize Masters Toronto Format After Top Seeds Fall Early
On June 15, all four top-seeded teams from their respective regions — G2 Esports (Americas), XLG Esports (China), Rex Regum Qeon (Pacific), and Fnatic (EMEA) — were eliminated in their first upper bracket matches at VALORANT Masters Toronto . This meant every regional champion was sent to the lower bracket without securing a single upper bracket win. The backlash was voiced publicly on X, where coaches openly questioned whether skipping the group stage truly benefits top seeds.
G2 Esports head coach Josh " JoshRT " Lee was among the first to publicly question the decision to let top seeds skip the group stage entirely:
For the second Masters, is there a format where 1st seeds still play the group stage? Skipping straight to playoffs doesn’t feel like much of an advantage in a tournament like this, and I’m sure most 1st seeds would rather play groups.
Published with the spelling and punctuation of the source preserved
He emphasized the importance of tournament momentum and expressed a clear preference for a more competitive entry point:
Tournament momentum is real. Now that I’ve experienced both sides, I’d rather play group stage and take the Champ Points and trophy as the real reward for winning our region.
Published with the spelling and punctuation of the source preserved
JoshRT acknowledged the constraints organizers face:
I get that Riot only has limited venue days, so I don’t have a clear solution here.
Published with the spelling and punctuation of the source preserved
Fnatic ’s assistant coach Connor "CoJo" Morrison responded in agreement, calling on Riot to reconsider the format:
Also yeah please stop nerfing first seeds. The stats have to be telling Riot that it isn’t an advantage by this point. But maybe just sour grapes? Who knows.
Published with the spelling and punctuation of the source preserved
VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025 continues to unfold in Canada from June 7 to June 22, featuring 12 teams from around the world. The $1,000,000 prize pool and VCT circuit points are on the line, with the champion earning 7 points and $350,000.
