The London Masters has once again produced a miraculous draw! CN teams are forced into an internal clash, and the loser will be the first to exit the tournament!

The 2026 Valorant London Masters appears to be bound to its draws from the start, with incredibly dramatic outcomes! In the opening round of the Swiss stage, the draw perfectly set up challenges for the two CN teams—XLG and DRG sidestepped the debutants FS and GE, only to face NRG and VIT. The final results were tough to swallow, though not entirely disappointing. Everyone hoped that no matter how strong the opponent, we would lose with dignity rather than being utterly crushed. But both best-of-three series ended in sweeps by the opposition, which was heartbreaking. Dropping to the 0-1 group in the Swiss stage means one more loss sends you home!

One might have expected the second draw to yield some favorable matchups, but the London Masters' bizarre draws struck again—all eight teams were paired internally, with no exceptions! VIT vs FUT, NRG vs LEV, DRG vs XLG, GE vs FS—every region was perfectly arranged. The hardest hit were the CN and Pacific regions, as their internal matchup in the 0-1 group means one team advances while the other must bid an early farewell. Although an internal battle guarantees one team's progression, it is ultimately the weakest approach, leaving a bitter feeling.

For consolation, this marks the fastest first win for the CN region in recent years. From last year's Champions to this year's San Diego Masters, securing that first victory was always a painful struggle. But at this year's London Masters, we are about to achieve it early, since XLG and DRG meet in their second match in an internal showdown—a do-or-die game where the loser is eliminated. Based on the teams' current form and their performances within the CN region, it is likely that XLG will have a slight edge. However, regardless of who wins and moves on, if they later get swept 0-2 in an external match, they will face harsh criticism. Hopefully, whoever prevails will deliver a strong performance in the next cross-region match. Let's go!