Team Secret crashes out of APAC Predator League 2025 group stage; ZOL qualifies for playoffs
Team Secret crashes out of APAC Predator League 2025 group stage; ZOL qualifies for playoffs
Directly-invited VALORANT squad Team Secret’s tournaments lives are cut short as they are unable to make out of the group stage of APAC Predator League 2025, while Philippine Qualifier entrants ZOL Esports made it to the playoffs on Thursday.
It was a big blow for Team Secret, who were playing without Brheyanne Christ “Wild0reoo” Reyes and coach Tim “dummy” Olson, with Mark Anthony “Marky” Tuling and Ji “Meow” Dong-jun standing in their place, while the revamping ZOL started their 2025 season on the right foot.
ZOL meanwhile had their first tournament without Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza, while former NAOS Esports player Emmanuel “Emman” Morales and former Velocity Gaming member Yousef Imad “Hotsauz” El-Yousef joining the squad.
Early exit for the supposed contenders
Indian team Rival gave the Filipino squad a hard time inside Pearl, where the former led 8-0 before they answered with the next two rounds.
However, Rival only dropped one map in the next six rounds to take the 1-0 win with Azis “azys” Nandang’s Jett getting the MVP nod with 21 kills and Debanjan “DEATHMAKER” Das’ Kayo registered 16.
Adrian Jiggs “Invy” Reyes meanwhile led TS with 14 kills but was not enough to quash the Indian side.
It was a close fight against Australian side Next Gen in the second round where Team Secret had an early 2-0 lead but got smashed by the Aussies 4-8 before the break.
TS tried to fought back in Ascent, winning six rounds, but Next Gen wrapped the series with five round wins, including three in a row, to eliminate the VCT Pacific powerhouses, as Zac “Zauqk” Wishart put up 22 kills and assisted 15 with Sova.
The team went to Haven against league-leading Crest Gaming ZST, where the Filipinos cruised past the Japanese side with a 9-3 lead heading into the break.
CGZ tried to squander the lead but only managed to win two more rounds as Team Secret won their lone match of the day, with Jessie Cristy “JessieVash” Cuyco leading the team with 19 kills and seven assists.
Despite the loss, Crest Gaming won the group thanks to their win against Next Gen in the group opener.
ZOL escapes SEA rivals to top Group C
Fellow Filipino side ZOL Esports meanwhile had a better showing in the group stage, but wasn’t spared from an early scare as Korean side CNEsports handed them a close 14-12 defeat.
The Koreans led by a close 7-5 margin heading to the break, but ZOL managed to take the game to overtime with a solid 7-5 fight back.
However, CNE pushed two more rounds to claim the victory with Kim “BENECIA” Jin-han’s Astra getting the MVP nod with 20 kills, while Hotsauz’s Viper led ZOL with 23 kills.
ZOL then make quick work of All Gamers Young with a 13-6 demolition, thanks to two runs of seven and five straight round wins.
Oscar “kakarot” Farin Jr. claimed the MVP nod with a 20-kill performance from Neon, while Emman’s Breach and Christian “ZYND” Lopez’s Cypher tallied 17 kills each.
BOOM Esports stood in their way with a three-way tie alongside CNE, with the Indonesian side needing a win to break the deadlock and advance, while ZOL needed a win to get a head-to-head advantage.
Both teams engaged in a close fight, with ZOL claiming a slim 7-5 advantage heading onto the break.
However, the Indonesian side ran out of steam in the second half, winning only the next two round, with ZOL scoring six straight to close the show and claim the top spot.
Emman proved he was a worthy addition, getting a team-high 19 kills and 10 assists with Kayo.
ZOL will next face Malaysian-based team Xipto Esports in the semifinals on Saturday.
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