Nongshim RedForce defeated BOOM Esports 2-1 in the first elimination series of VCT 2025: Pacific Kickoff. The Korean team remains in the tournament and will face the winner of the match between Rex Regum Qeon vs. Team Secret.
Meanwhile, a second consecutive loss saw BOOM Esports eliminated from the Kickoff and have to wait until Stage 1 to compete again.
This was the third meeting between the two teams, with Nongshim, formerly of Sin Prisa Gaming, winning the previous two. One of those victories included staving off a reverse sweep in the Ascension 2024 grand finals to secure a spot in VCT Pacific.
BOOM mirrored their veto against T1, banning Split and Haven, and picking Pearl as the series opener. Nongshim, meanwhile, opted to ban Abyss, picking Bind, considered one of BOOM’s best maps, and leaving Lotus as the decider, a map both teams have historically been strong on.
Map Pearl
Nongshim took the pistol round on defense and used the Vyse-Killjoy composition to maintain a lead in the first half with a score of 9-1. Nongshim won this map with a score of 13-3.
Map Bind
BOOM immediately doubled their point total in the first round of Bind. They won the pistol round and took a comfortable lead after halftime, ending the map with a score of 13-7, sending the match to a third map.
Map Lotus
BOOM won the first pistol round, but Nongshim took advantage of their Neon composition to take an early lead. Nongshim eventually won this map with a score of 13-9, ending the series 2-1.
Nongshim will play against the winner of the Rex Regum Qeon vs. Team Secret match. A win will give them a chance to participate in Masters: Bangkok, the first international event in Southeast Asia, and earn points for the Champions: Paris qualifiers.
