XSET had a rough time against FaZe clan in its first match in the VALORANT Champions Tour Masters One tournament. FaZe came out swinging with an aggressive playstyle that was tough for XSET to counter. XSET’s Zander “thwifo” Kim talked with Hotspawn about what went wrong in the series, the team’s thoughts on facing Gen.G, and TenZ joining Sentinels.
XSET couldn't beat FaZe's agressive style, but they have another chance against Gen.G. (Image via XSET)
Hotspawn: What was the biggest issue for your team on Haven?
The first time we played them on Haven a long time ago, we knew they used to run Cypher. We were ready for them to make a quick play, and we knew they were going to run Breach and changed their comp. We always felt confident against FaZe, but they started off really strong. I think we won the pistol round, but every round after that, their aggression was insane. Itâs not that they were just aggressive, they kept following through, and it really put pressure on us.
Hotpsawn: Was it hard to match the tempo they were setting?
Thwifo: On T side, I felt like we went blow for blow pretty well, and we were kind of yin-yanging them and going to the other side they werenât. But I think our trading was just off today; we didnât get into the site and get numbers on them even though we had a lot of info like on where they were on the map.
Hotspawn: What were the thoughts behind selecting Bind as the second map?
Thwifo: Iâm pretty sure we played them last time on Bind, and they had the same exact comp with Breach. I think their confidence rolled in from the first map. We felt pretty confident on Bind, but we felt beaten down and battered. So they just kept coming, and we got rolled again. But we felt really comfortable about Bind.
Hotspawn: What was the biggest difference with FaZe between this series and the previous series against FaZe?
Thwifo: I think maybe we got a little bit too complacent. I think we always felt really comfortable against FaZe, and today really showed that. We got swept, and we kind of just crumbled apart. We couldâve done way better, but they seem to have embraced their Breach and Jett playstyle. Babybay went full crazy mode; that guy is a beast.
Hotpsawn: How do you feel about playing Gen.G in your next match?
Thwifo: Iâm excited and I love the boys at Gen.G. I love Danny (Huynh). Iâm excited and I think itâs going to be a pretty even match. I think theyâre a really solid team, and I’m a lot more comfortable playing against Gen.G now than FaZe. I know Gen.G isnât going too crazy like babybay, and we need to do a lot of prep.
Hotspawn: How do you feel about TenZ joining Sentinels, and do you think they will succeed with the sudden change?
Thwifo: I think thatâs insane. I think Sentinels is a really flowy team, and they have a lot of protocols; and TenZ seems like a really humble person and gets along really well. Hopefully, he can work back into the Sentinels system, and I think theyâre going to dominate. Maybe theyâll be rough for the first few matches, but Sinatraa for TenZ, I think thatâs equal, man. They both have great X-factor and theyâre both insane. Scary, scary team to play against, even with Sinatraa gone.
Hotspawn: What was the biggest takeaway from your first match in Masters One?
Thwifo: I think it was just our hesitation and aggression, and I think we couldâve reacted faster and been more confident in our calls. We knew exactly what they were doing, and we didnât capitalize on anything fast enough altogether.
XSET and Gen.G will play in the lower round on March 13 at 2 pm CT.
