Who was your MVP on Day 1?
Emily Rand: You could probably pick any player off of Team Mirage, but I'm going to go with Spencer "Hiko" Martin. His Breach play allowed for so many setups that opened up several multikills for his teammates, and he was racking up kills on his own as well. This is the kind of play that I think we'll increasingly see as more players get used to the game, learn to slow down and play patiently as teams.
Tyler Erzberger: I agree that Hiko was the most consistent player for Team Mirage on Day 1 -- not that any of them had a bad day, dominating all three games -- but I'd give my personal MVP award to Keven "AZK" Larivière. He was the flashiest member of the team composed of former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pros, and I lost count at one point how many razor-thin clutches he secured when his team needed him the most. Team Rift would have actually taken a round away from Team Mirage if it wasn't for AZK, who won a blind one-on-one duel against Michael "Imaqtpie" Santana en route to a flawless 13-0 victory.
Arda Ocal: I think most people would agree that Team Mirage were going to book their ticket to the playoff no matter what. So I'll pick someone from Team Heroes. Gale "Gale" Adelade popped off with a 20/15/11 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) in the most competitive matchup of the day against Team Six. Not only that, Team Six went up 9-3 and looked to be in cruise control until Team Heroes went on an incredible 10-round win streak to take it. Brian "Kephrii" St. Pierre led the way with 22 elims, and Kelden "Boostio" Pupello was an impressive 19-15-7 with four first bloods.
I'll say Gale because he led the way and also had to deal with last-minute roster changes, so he adjusted well and booked a spot in the playoff. Well done.
More: ESPN Esports VALORANT Invitational picks and predictions | Ranking the ESPN Esports VALORANT Invitational competitors | An early look at the VALORANT meta
What will you remember most about Team Rift's legendary run?
Erzberger: Marcus "Dyrus" Hill was one of the lone silver linings for a team that only won a single round in its two games before tapping out before their last match against Team Six. While it was a tough day for the squad of League of Legends players, I thought Dyrus was actually quite good, and his overall stats back up his solid play. I'd like to see how Dyrus progresses in VALORANT, along with Danny "Shiphtur" Le, if they continue grinding in the game.
Rand: Riot Games caster Rivington Bisland III being a good sport and subbing in for Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng after Team Rift were nearly shut out by Team Heroes, only to be completely blanked by Team Mirage.
Ocal: I will remember the short-lived reunion of Doublelift and Jake "Xmithie" Puchero for one game until Rivington subbed in. We thought he would right the ship, but instead it ended up being a shutout. That's fine. I'm happy Team Rift participated. This tournament was supposed to be fun, and them being involved was fun!
What surprised you the most on Day 1?
Rand: I don't think this is a huge surprise, but I want to take the time to shout out Team Six and specifically Nathanial "Rampy" Duvall. Team Six were the only team who gave Team Mirage any competition but were then surprisingly overwhelmed by Team Heroes on Bind defense. Team Heroes coming back after being handily defeated by Team Mirage, adjusting their compositions and how they were setting up from match to match is the biggest surprise for me.
Erzberger: It has to be Team Heroes coming back from the brink of elimination. Gale, the team's captain, was forced to find replacements at the last minute after two of his supposed starters had to back out a day before the tournament began. One of those late substitutes, Boostio, was the difference-maker along with the captain in their miracle comeback against a team littered with world champions from the world of Rainbow Six Siege. If I was an esports organization looking to sign up-and-coming talent for VALORANT, Boostio would now be on my radar.
Ocal: How well Mirage played as a team and specifically what roles. I wonder how great Braxton "Brax" Pierce is on Cypher; we only saw him on Omen all tournament. The first two games he wasn't high up in the list on KDA, but it didn't matter: Every team was playing a role as a cohesive unit. That's a scary sight. It's surprising because it's really apparent when you see teams pick agents they are most comfortable on vs. players that play for the team's overall benefit.
What are your hopes and predictions for Group B on Tuesday?
Rand: Most of us expected Team Mirage to wipe the floor with Group A given that Team Heroes had to make last-minute roster moves and Team Rift never really stood a chance to begin with. Despite the fact that I picked Team Dev to take it all. I think we're going to see a lot closer matches Tuesday with all three battle royale teams duking it out for bragging rights and the chance to advance. My main hope is just for closer competition.
Erzberger: Group B promises to be far more competitive than the action we saw on Day 1. Team Llama, Team Battlegrounds and Team Canyon all have mechanically skilled players coming with shooting game backgrounds who are aiming for a future in VALORANT. Then you have Team Dev, the shadowy final boss of this tournament, who were the ones who handcrafted these maps and know every corner of this game like it was the back of their hands. My bold prediction is that Team Dev will drop one of their games in Group B, either to Team Battlegrounds or Team Canyon. I'm ready for a major upset.
Ocal: Which one of the battle royale field can shave points off Team Dev? I'm curious to see what new tricks and hacks the Devs will show us and to see them completely shine as they have in the limited amount of gameplay we have seen them in publicly. If it does end up being a Dev/Mirage final, bring it on. After watching Mirage, I do believe enough time has passed where Mirage has has enough time to learn the game to get close in knowledge to the Devs.
With their mechanics and teamwork, the ESPN Esports VALORANT Invitational could be the tournament where the pros reclaim the crown.