XSET head coach Syyko confident team’s current lineup is ready to break through

A team marked for their consistency, XSET has become a staple within the North American VALORANT scene, but something that continues to elude this team is international LAN qualification.

Last year, they were just one of four teams in North America to qualify for every domestic Challengers finals event. The other three teams? 100 Thieves, Envy and Sentinels, the three teams who went on to represent the region at Masters: Berlin. XSET just missed out as the fourth-placed team.

And for XSET head coach, Don “Syyko” Muir, one of the key factors behind this boiled down to nerves and pressure.

“In the past, stress would start to settle in and the pressure of the match would stop us from being able to overcome that hurdle,” Syyko said.

Throughout their time in VALORANT, XSET have shown tremendous growth throughout 2021. Initially, an early-exit team that struggled to match up against the top six teams in North America, they made changes and adjustments along the way to become stronger.

“Consistency is something that we have really worked on as a team, in-game leader Rory “dephh” Jackson said. “We wanted to really be prepared and inserted extra work in scrims as well as things outside the game to help further our play, and I think that will show the deeper we go in the bracket.”

Heading into 2022, XSET kept the majority of their 2021 lineup, aside from the addition of Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban. Beyond the one player addition, the team made a number of changes to create something that could help them become that top team they all want to be.

“We identified our past issues with stress and pressure, so we created a practice room that could replicate the environment needed to place importance on certain matches while simultaneously creating separation to help keep a balance and remove that pressure,” Syyko said. “This time, we have systems in place to break through in 2022.”

Syyko and XSET have spent the past three to four months working out what needed to change to find more success. Now, all they need is that breakthrough event. For Syyko, their match against Cloud9 is that big step for that team.

“This match against Cloud9 is the real big test for us because a win here would put us in the top three, something that has eluded us at one of these Masters qualification events,” Syyko said about their upcoming opponent. “They are a great team and were the best NA team by the end of 2021 so it will not be easy.”

He acknowledged the hurdle of Cloud9 ahead of him as one that had extra meaning compared to their other matches, something that had previously stopped XSET from taking that next step in his eyes. Yet, even with this tough task ahead of them, he believes that the work has been put in to break new ground for XSET.

“Our maps against Cloud9 were really close, and I think a lot of it boiled down to our nerves,” Syyko said. “But, I think that we've shaken off those nerves at this point and I think the young guys and the veterans are ready to push through that barrier.”

But even if that curse does not get broken on their road to Masters: Reykjavík, XSET are confident that this is the lineup that will catapult XSET into being a top-three team.

“Whether we break the curse in this stage or break it in Stage 2, that curse will be broken with this lineup,” Syyko said. “We have the right pieces in place to overcome that hurdle, and I think we will be able to do it. We are putting in the work, changing the systems in place, and working on finally breaking that mental block. This is our year.”

XSET will look to take the next step as a team as they look to take down Cloud9 later Friday. One team will move forward into the NA playoffs lower bracket final and be one win away from Masters, while the other will be eliminated.

This match will take place following the upper bracket final between OpTic Gaming and The Guard, the winner of which will qualify for Masters: Reykjavík as the first North American representative.

That match will start later today at 4 p.m. ET and be followed by Cloud9 vs. XSET.

Lead photo credit: Nerd Street