PRX vs. LEV: I'm Not as Comfortable as My Bracket Shows
I picked PRX in my bracket. Standing by it. Just not calling it comfortable anymore.
Masters London playoffs open today at 10 AM EDT with Paper Rex against Leviatán. In yesterday's bracket piece I called this the comfortable PRX pick.
I've been rethinking "comfortable" since watching the Swiss stage.
What LEV Actually Is
Leviatán went 2-0 in Swiss. Both series went three maps. They beat Global Esports 2-1 and then beat NRG 2-1. NRG. The defending world champions who fell two matches earlier than anyone expected.
LEV didn't just sneak through. They knocked the world champs to the losers' bracket by playing rigid, physical Valorant and winning individual fights across six maps of Swiss. That's not a paper record.
PRX comes in 19-6 on the year off a direct seed. Zero matches played in London yet. LEV is three series deep.
The Case for PRX
Fresh teams beat warm teams all the time. PRX's identity is making rigid opponents pay in map three. When the chaos starts and mid-series adjustments have to happen fast, LEV's strength becomes a liability. They don't adapt the way PRX does.
PRX have been here before. That still matters.
The Pick
PRX 2-1. They close it, but it won't look clean.
Comfortable was the wrong word. I'm keeping the pick.