LEV and VIT Are the Two Teams to Watch at Masters London
After Round 1 of the Swiss Stage, Leviatán and Vitality have made their cases as the most interesting teams in the tournament.
Round 1 of Masters London Swiss Stage is done, and four teams are sitting at 1-0: NRG, FUT, Vitality, and Leviatán. But not all 1-0s are created equal.
Vitality is Just Different
VIT went 2-0 with a +18 round differential. That's the best of any team in the entire opening round. They didn't just win, they dominated. For a team that a lot of people were sleeping on coming into London, that's a serious statement.
The way they're playing right now, they look like the most complete team in EMEA and honestly maybe the most complete team in the tournament. Today they face FUT in the Round 2 high-bracket match, and if they win this one it's basically a playoff bye. I fully expect them to close it out.
LEV Showed They Have Heart
Leviatán's path was messier. They dropped the first map against Global Esports and had to fight back for a 2-1 win. It wasn't clean, but the fact that they didn't crumble matters. This is a team that's been building toward something all year, and going up against a solid GE squad and finding a way to win in three is exactly the kind of result that tells you a team has composure.
Their Round 2 matchup is against NRG, which is the tougher draw of the two high-bracket matches. NRG looked comfortable in Round 1, but LEV has the firepower to make it a real series. This one could go either way.
Why These Two Teams Matter
Both LEV and VIT represent something bigger than just this tournament. Vitality is showing that EMEA is back for real, not just hoping to make noise but actually capable of running through the field. LEV has been the most exciting team out of Americas all cycle, and them making it to London and winning out of the gate keeps the storyline alive.
If both of these teams advance today and hit 2-0, Round 3 gets really interesting. A potential VIT vs LEV match deep in the bracket would be must-watch Valorant.