Nuturn Gaming won its first match of the VCT Reykjavik LAN against Sharks Esports on Monday. The win wasn’t just important to Nuturn because it is looking to advance in the tournament, it was also important because the team has something to prove to its region and the world. Namely, Nuturn is hoping to demonstrate once and for all that it is the true legacy of S. Korea, not Vision Strikers.

Vision Strikers was the unquestioned favorite to earn the Korean slot in the qualifiers for VCT Reykjavik. Afterall, Vision Strikers went on a 102-game lossless streak that lasted over a year and won the first Masters tournament. So they seemed like a shoo-in for the KR region slot at VCT Reykjavik. However, Vision strikers faltered at the KR VCT LAN qualifiers, falling to NUTURN Gaming in a very close Grand Final match.

Much of the VALORANT community focused on how Vision Strikers failed to qualify, rather than recognizing Nuturn's success in qualifying. From Nuturn's perspective, this frame of the story was totally unfair. Nuturn has seen its fair share of success in the Korean VALORANT scene. It won multiple events over the past year and placed 2nd to Vision Strikers at the Korean Stage 1 Masters, only barely losing that match 2-3.

Nuturn Gaming has always been one of the best VALORANT teams in Korea, now they have a chance to prove it in tomorrows match.

In spite of Nuturn's unquestionable success, many have continued to question whether it really deserved to compete at this tournament. Some players in interviews have bemoaned the fact that they won’t face off against Vision Strikers, with the implication being that Vision Strikers are the one who deserves to be at this LAN. The VALORANT fans online have also been vocal in questioning whether Nuturn has what it takes to rep the KR region.

“It was upsetting to see replies on YouTube and comments online about how Vision Strikers should have been the team to qualify for this,” explained Nuturn’s VALORANT coach Jeong "Jaemin" Jae-min following their match against Sharks on Monday. “However, there were also comments and fans who were commenting in favor of Nuturn Gaming, and I and the team are very happy to play for them.”

In the face of widespread dismissal and disrespect, it seems like it would be difficult for Nuturn not to have a bit of a chip on their shoulder at this tournament. In tomorrow's match against Version1, they have the chance to silence any doubts about whether they belong here by putting on a good performance against the surging NA-based team.