VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 2 Play-In begins on August 13 with DRX vs ONSIDE Gaming and Rex Regum Qeon vs Sharper Esports.
VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 Pacific Stage 2 Play-In kicks off on Thursday, August 13, with the first two fixtures as DRX clash with ONSIDE Gaming, followed by a meeting between Rex Regum Qeon and Sharper Esports.
At Esportbet, you can find free VALORANT betting previews and picks for the two games, along with odds courtesy of the top-rated esports bookmakers.
DRX placed last in Group Omega with a 1-4 record, having failed to win a single match since the first week of VCT Pacific Stage 2.
Over that stretch, DRX won just one map against VARREL in the final week of play.
ONSIDE Gaming are a Challenger team, thus a tier below DRX. However, unlike DRX, ONSIDE have been in excellent shape this season, winning all but five games since February.
They dominated VCL Korea Split 1 and 2, proving they are ready to take a step up in competition.
Even though ONSIDE are unproven against elite teams, they should be considered a real threat for DRX, who have been nothing short of disappointing in recent months.
At plus money, ONSIDE Gaming are worth a bet to cause an upset.
ONSIDE Gaming to win
Rex Regum Qeon have not impressed anyone with their performances in VCT Pacific Stage 2.
However, while RRQ struggled a lot early in the stage, they have shown more signs of life of late, beating FULL SENSE and Nongshim RedForce in the final two weeks to improve their record to 2-3.
RRQ still have a lot to prove due to their slow start to the stage. However, their showings leading up to the Play-Ins are inspiring and suggest Rex Regum Qeon can make a run to the playoffs.
Sharper Esports are listed as +200 underdogs on the best VALORANT betting sites, which is not surprising as they are a Challenger team.
Even though Sharper dominated the season, they hail from the SEA region, making it harder to believe they can properly challenge a mid-table VCT squad.
Rex Regum Qeon have been somewhat volatile this stage, but their recent resurgence is proof enough that they can handle a lower-tier squad.
Rex Regum Qeon -1.5 maps
Mark Prezelj
Esports Betting Analyst
Mark Prezelj is a Slovenian esports betting analyst with over 3,500 articles at EsportBet and the founder of Lines64.com — someone who has been reading odds longer than most readers have been watching esports.
