2023 Valorant Champions Tour: Tokyo Masters
{{Short description|Gaming tournament}}
{{Infobox tournament
| name = 2023 VCT: Tokyo Masters
| sport = Esports
| game = Valorant
| year = 2023
| image =
| caption =
| location = Chiba, Japan
| date = June 11–25, 2023
| administrator = Riot Games
| tournament_format = Double Elimination
| host =
| venues = Tipstar Dome Chiba
(Group stage and Playoffs)
Makuhari Messe
(Lower Final and Grand Final)
| teams = 12
| purse = US$1,000,000
| champion = Fnatic
| runner-up1 = Evil Geniuses
| matches =
| points =
| tries =
| goals =
| attendance =
| noaverage =
| mvp =
| top_scorer =
| top_try_scorer =
| stat1_label =
| stat1 =
| stat2_label =
| stat2 =
| stat3_label =
| stat3 =
| previous = 2022: Stage 2
| next = 2024: Madrid
}}
The 2023 Valorant Champions Tour: Tokyo Masters, also known as Valorant Masters Tokyo 2023, was an international esports tournament organized by Riot Games for the first-person shooter game Valorant, as part of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2023 competitive season. Although officially named Masters Tokyo, the tournament ran from June 11–25, 2023 in Chiba, Japan, instead of Tokyo.
For the 2023 season, this is the only Masters tournament to be played in the international leagues.{{cite news |title=Masters 2023 is coming to Japan! |url=https://valorantesports.com/news/masters-2023-is-coming-to-japan/en-ph |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Valorant Esports |date=25 December 2022}}
Fnatic have defeated Evil Geniuses via 3–0, in the best-of-5 Grand Final, to become the champions of the tournament.{{cite news |last1=Stubbs |first1=Mike |title=Fnatic win $1 Million Valorant Masters Tokyo tournament |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestubbs/2023/06/25/fnatic-win-1-million-valorant-masters-tokyo-tournament/?sh=352365d36807 |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Forbes |date=25 June 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Rawat |first1=Aditya |title=Fnatic dominates EG to become VCT 2023 Masters Tokyo Champions |url=https://afkgaming.com/esports/news/fnatic-dominates-eg-to-become-vct-2023-masters-tokyo-champions |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=AFK Gaming |date=25 June 2023}}
Participating teams
With the introduction of the international leagues, the season is divided into three leagues: Americas, Pacific, and the EMEA. The winning region of the VCT//LOCK IN 2023 earned an extra berth for their respective region to qualify for the tournament, with Fnatic winning the said tournament, hence they are given 4 slots for their region for this tournament. While the champions of the Americas and Pacific are given one direct slot each to start in the Upper Quarterfinals.{{cite news |last1=Datuin |first1=Sage |title=VALORANT: All VCT Masters Tokyo Teams Preview |url=https://esi.si.com/valorant/vct-masters-tokyo-teams-preview |access-date=2 March 2024 |work=Esports Illustrated |date=3 June 2023}} China, although Valorant not officially released yet, is given 2 special spots to participate via third-party's competition.
| class="wikitable" style="white-space:nowrap"
!Region !Path !Team !ID |
| colspan="4" |Starting in the upper bracket quarterfinals |
|---|
| rowspan="2" title="Europe, Middle East, Africa" |{{abbr|EMEA|Europe, the Middle East and Africa}}
| VCT EMEA Champion | TL |
| VCT EMEA runner-up
|FNC |
| Americas
| VCT Americas Champion | LOUD | LOUD |
| title="Asia-Pacific" |Pacific
| VCT Pacific Champion | PRX |
| colspan="4" |Starting in the group stage |
| rowspan="2" |{{abbr|EMEA|Europe, the Middle East and Africa}}
| VCT EMEA League 3rd place | FÜT Esports | FÜT |
| VCT EMEA League 4th place
|NAVI |
| rowspan="2" |Americas
|VCT Americas League runner-up |NRG |NRG |
| VCT Americas League 3rd place
|EG |
| rowspan="2" |Pacific
|VCT Pacific League runner-up |DRX |DRX |
| VCT Pacific League 3rd place
|T1 |T1 |
| rowspan="2" |China
|FGC Valorant Invitational Champion |Attacking Soul Esports |ASE |
| FGC Valorant Invitational runner-up
|EDG |
Group stage
The group stages consisted of the remaining eight teams who were the runners-up or third placers of their respective regional international leagues around the world.
= Group A =
{{4TeamBracket-2Elim-B
| qualifiers = yes
| RD1 = Opening Matches
| RD1b = Elimination Match
| RD2 = Winners' Match
| RD2b= Decider Match
| RD3= Advanced to Playoffs
| RD1-seed1 =
| RD1-team1 = Edward Gaming
| RD1-score1 = 1
| RD1-seed2 =
| RD1-team2 = T1
| RD1-score2 = 2
| RD1-seed3 =
| RD1-team3 = NRG
| RD1-score3 = 2
| RD1-seed4 =
| RD1-team4 = Natus Vincere
| RD1-score4 = 1
| RD1b-seed1 =
| RD1b-team1 = Edward Gaming
| RD1b-score1 = 2
| RD1b-seed2 =
| RD1b-team2 = Natus Vincere
| RD1b-score2 = 0
| RD2-seed1 =
| RD2-team1 = T1
| RD2-score1 = 1
| RD2-seed2 =
| RD2-team2 = NRG
| RD2-score2 = 2
| RD2b-seed1 =
| RD2b-team1 = T1
| RD2b-score1 = 0
| RD2b-seed2 =
| RD2b-team2 = Edward Gaming
| RD2b-score2 = 2
| RD3-team1= NRG
| RD3-team2= Edward Gaming
}}
= Group B =
{{4TeamBracket-2Elim-B
| qualifiers = yes
| RD1 = Opening Matches
| RD1b = Elimination Match
| RD2 = Winners' Match
| RD2b= Decider Match
| RD3 = Advanced to Playoffs
| RD1-seed1 =
| RD1-team1 = FÜT Esports
| RD1-score1 =0
| RD1-seed2 =
| RD1-team2 =Evil Geniuses
| RD1-score2 =2
| RD1-seed3 =
| RD1-team3 =DRX
| RD1-score3 =2
| RD1-seed4 =
| RD1-team4 =Attacking Soul Esports
| RD1-score4 =0
| RD1b-seed1 =
| RD1b-team1 =FÜT Esports
| RD1b-score1 =2
| RD1b-seed2 =
| RD1b-team2 =Attacking Soul Esports
| RD1b-score2 =1
| RD2-seed1 =
| RD2-team1 =Evil Geniuses
| RD2-score1 =2
| RD2-seed2 =
| RD2-team2 =DRX
| RD2-score2 =0
| RD2b-seed1 =
| RD2b-team1 =DRX
| RD2b-score1 =2
| RD2b-seed2 =
| RD2b-team2 =FÜT Esports
| RD2b-score2 =1
| RD3-team1=Evil Geniuses
| RD3-team2=DRX
}}
Playoffs
The finalists of the EMEA League, the champions of the Pacific and Americas League all qualified for the tournament directly to the playoffs.
Majority of the playoff matches were a best-of-three series, except for the Lower Bracket Final and the Grand Final which were played in a best-of-five series. Italicized team had the two-map ban advantage as they were the upper-bracket team.
{{8TeamBracket-2Elim-A
|RD1=Upper Bracket Quarterfinals
|RD2= Upper Bracket Semifinals
|RD3= Upper Bracket Final
|RD1b= Lower Bracket - Round 1
|RD2b= Lower Bracket Quarterfinals
|RD3b= Lower Bracket Semifinal
|RD4b= Lower Bracket Final
|RD5= Grand Final
|RD1-seed1=
|RD1-team1=Paper Rex
|RD1-score1=2
|RD1-seed2=
|RD1-team2=DRX
|RD1-score2=0
|RD1-seed3=
|RD1-team3=Fnatic
|RD1-score3=2
|RD1-seed4=
|RD1-team4=NRG
|RD1-score4=0
|RD1-seed5=
|RD1-team5=Team Liquid
|RD1-score5=2
|RD1-seed6=
|RD1-team6=Edward Gaming
|RD1-score6=1
|RD1-seed7=
|RD1-team7=LOUD
|RD1-score7=0
|RD1-seed8=
|RD1-team8=Evil Geniuses
|RD1-score8=2
|RD1b-seed1=
|RD1b-team1=DRX
|RD1b-score1=0
|RD1b-seed2=
|RD1b-team2=NRG
|RD1b-score2=2
|RD1b-seed3=
|RD1b-team3=Edward Gaming
|RD1b-score3=2
|RD1b-seed4=
|RD1b-team4=LOUD
|RD1b-score4=0
|RD2-seed1=
|RD2-team1=Paper Rex
|RD2-score1=0
|RD2-seed2=
|RD2-team2=Fnatic
|RD2-score2=2
|RD2-seed3=
|RD2-team3=Team Liquid
|RD2-score3=0
|RD2-seed4=
|RD2-team4=Evil Geniuses
|RD2-score4=2
|RD2b-seed1=
|RD2b-team1=Team Liquid
|RD2b-score1=1
|RD2b-seed2=
|RD2b-team2=NRG
|RD2b-score2=2
|RD2b-seed3=
|RD2b-team3=Paper Rex
|RD2b-score3=2
|RD2b-seed4=
|RD2b-team4=Edward Gaming
|RD2b-score4=1
|RD3-seed1=
|RD3-team1=Fnatic
|RD3-score1=2
|RD3-seed2=
|RD3-team2=Evil Geniuses
|RD3-score2=1
|RD3b-seed1=
|RD3b-team1=NRG
|RD3b-score1=1
|RD3b-seed2=
|RD3b-team2=Paper Rex
|RD3b-score2=2
|RD4b-seed1=
|RD4b-team1=Evil Geniuses
|RD4b-score1=3
|RD4b-seed2=
|RD4b-team2=Paper Rex
|RD4b-score2=2
|RD5-seed1=
|RD5-team1=Fnatic
|RD5-score1=3
|RD5-seed2=
|RD5-team2=Evil Geniuses
|RD5-score2=0
}}
Final rankings
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Place | Team | Winnings (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| {{Center|1st}} | Fnatic | $350,000 |
| {{Center|2nd}} | Evil Geniuses | $200,000 |
| {{Center|3rd}} | Paper Rex | $125,000 |
| {{Center|4th}} | NRG | $75,000 |
| rowspan=2|{{Center|5th–6th}} | Team Liquid | rowspan=2| $50,000 |
| | Edward Gaming | ||
| rowspan=2|{{Center|7th–8th}} | DRX | rowspan=2| $35,000 |
| | LOUD | ||
| rowspan=2|{{Center|9th–10th}} | T1 | rowspan=2| $25,000 |
| | FÜT Esports | ||
| rowspan=2|11th–12th | Natus Vincere | rowspan=2| $15,000 |
| | Attacking Soul Esports |
Marketing
= In-Game Drops =
The tournament gave opportunity to all active players to earn in-game drops for free while watching the tournament. Fans must connect their account with their YouTube or Twitch channels, and they must watch the official livestream of the tournament on any Riot Games-approved channels. Each in-game drop had a specific time frame in which it can be earned. The VCT Masters Tokyo Player card were awarded during the Grand Final of the tournament, and the "Unpredictable" title was given out during the duration of the tournament.{{cite news |last1=Zalamea |first1=Nigel |title=How to get free VCT Masters Tokyo drops: Exclusive Player card and title |url=https://www.oneesports.gg/valorant/how-to-get-free-vct-masters-tokyo-drops/ |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=One Esports |date=25 June 2023}}
= Team Deathmatch Showmatch =
Selected content creators and influencers around the world featured up in a showmatch featuring the game's newest game mode, Team Deathmatch, in which featured Team Japan vs. Team International in a three-game series. The showmatch took place before the Grand Final of the tournament.{{cite news |last1=Collette |first1=Daniel |title=Team Deathmatch Showmatch at Valorant Masters Tokyo Grand Finals |url=https://valorantesports.com/news/team-deathmatch-showmatch-at-masters-tokyo-grand-finals/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Valorant Esports |date=17 June 2023}}
{{Esports match
| collapse =
| final_in_list =
| match = Showmatch
| date = June 25
| year = 2023
| time = 12:00 (UTC+9)
| team1 = Team Japan
| team1score = 2
| team2score = 1
| team2 = Team International
| recap =
| location = Chiba, Japan
| stadium = Makuhari Messe
| host = Team Japan
| bye =
| map1 = Piazza
| map1team1score = 100
| map1team2score = 99
| map2 = District
| map2team1score = 100
| map2team2score = 87
| map3 = Kasbah
| map3team1score = 94
| map3team2score = 100
}}