PCFIC waddle: "Top Tier 2 teams are better, if not as good as the Tier 1 teams"

PCIFIC Esports have had a rough start to VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2. Following the team's loss to FUT Esports in Week 2, Wadir "WADDLE" Taraki sat down with THESPIKE to discuss the team’s collapse on the decider map, the current state of the VALORANT meta, his journey from Tier 2 to Tier 1, and replacing a legend on the roster.

Fighting Back against FUT

THESPIKE: What happened after the second map? Because it felt like you could take the series home.

waddle: I think second map, we had like really big moments from individuals and it felt really nice winning those rounds, like those are really good, feel good rounds. And for example, the Felix "al0rante" Brandl 1v3, Mateja "Qpert" Mijovic with the 4k, like these are rounds that when they happen it spurs you on and we won the map obviously.

Then third map, it was literally like a blur for me right now, like we played the game and then we didn’t play the game, like it felt like none of us could play the game."

THESPIKE: How did you manage to turn the momentum around in the first map after being down 2-9?

waddle: "I think there was a curse before I joined the team maybe that when they start defense, they start slow and that’s literally what happened. We started slow, we weren’t like playing to counter them too much, like we kind of just got picked off. And then like on attack side we were a lot more together, we were a lot more packed and it just felt like Cupert’s calling was also very good and we were just playing off that."

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2

FUT Esports

2

X

1

PCIFIC Esports

Group Alpha, Best of 3 - July 22, 2026 - 2:45PM

13

Split

10

12

Lotus

14

13

Ascent

1

FUT Esports

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

sociablEE

1.17

228

50/40/26

+10

1.25

84.0%

156.0

31%

73%

11

4

s0pp

1.15

231

50/46/12

+4

1.09

72.6%

146.3

26%

59%

13

9

KROSTALY

1.08

191

45/38/19

+7

1.18

78.8%

130.9

33%

50%

2

2

yetujey

0.98

193

45/37/14

+8

1.22

80.5%

136.6

28%

57%

4

3

xeus

0.92

182

42/50/12

-8

0.84

68.4%

118.4

36%

64%

9

5

PCIFIC Esports

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Qpert

0.98

188

39/42/30

-3

0.93

71.5%

118.7

32%

33%

2

4

NINJA

0.96

190

41/49/23

-8

0.84

65.8%

129.2

32%

45%

5

6

WADDLE

0.95

198

43/46/21

-3

0.93

74.1%

130.0

26%

33%

3

6

al0rante

0.91

202

47/49/7

-2

0.96

56.4%

137.1

48%

50%

6

6

seven

0.72

177

40/46/15

-6

0.87

58.7%

130.9

21%

29%

7

17

The Current State of Things and Rising from Tier 2

THESPIKE: What is currently missing in your team in order to take the series completely and not only a single map?

waddle: "Right now it feels like it’s Ascent. Ascent has been the decider of both maps and we have like fell really flat on Ascent. So we might have to like reconsider what we’re doing there or hopefully fix some things, tweak some things and then hopefully we will start winning the decider maps."

THESPIKE: What is your take about the meta? Do you like it that way or do you think something needs to be changed?

waddle: For me, the game is really, I’m not going to say really bad, but it’s basically bad. Like they made it worse. I think Riot really messed up. I think the best point of the game was honestly the end of Champions because everything was playable; double duelist, double controller, double initiator. And right now it’s like heavily leaning on double duelist obviously. I’m like a player that likes to promote smarter, more macro outplaying teams. And right now the game relies a lot on shooting.

And yeah, like the topic about sentinels. Yeah, I don’t think sentinels are strong at all. They’re kind of like, their bottom sites are quite like paper. I guess it's not supposed to be intended that way, I don’t think."

THESPIKE: Do you think Karmine Corp's approach comes because of the meta or is it a way of playing that has been around for many years?

waddle: I mean, based off what they’re saying, because I was watching some of the interviews as well, I think they have players that understand the maps, understand their agents as well. And they’re just basically playing off that, you know? I mean, it does help them a bit that the meta is this way, because you can kind of like just play on comms and on energy. But I feel like you could always do that in this game. So the way they’re playing right now is like respect to them."

I’d argue that the top Tier 2 teams are better, if not as good as the Tier 1 teams.

THESPIKE: It's nice to see you finally being able to compete in the Tier 1 scene. You already had a taste of that Berlin stage, because you played there in the Ascension. But how does it feel to be there with the big boys?

waddle: "It feels the same, to be honest. Honestly, the level of the teams, all these players came from Tier 2. And I’d argue that the top Tier 2 teams are better, if not as good as the Tier 1 teams. And yeah, right now, like you said, with about the game state and stuff, if you’re hitting heads these Tier 2 teams can, you know, do really good."

TEHSPIKE: You’ve been with DNSTY for a lot of time and you always were so close to getting the Tier 1 with the roster, with Alessandro "Tag" Voci, and the boys. On a personal level, how important would it have been to reach Tier 1 with that DNSTY roster?

waddle: "I’m smiling because it’s good times I had in that team. We were only together for three, four months, maybe. I don’t remember exactly, but we accomplished so much together. I felt like I was in my prime in that team as well, where I played my best. It was fun every day, practicing with them.

I miss those guys a lot, you know, and if we were to go all the way and beat BBL Esports, it would have just been like a magical feeling. Yeah, it would have put Italy on the map, would have put all our players on the map as well. But yeah, we fell short, sadly, on that."

I respect cNed a lot.

Replacing a Legend Like cNed

THESPIKE: How did it feel to replace cNed, a legend who had been around for many years, and how did the team dynamic change with you coming in?

waddle: "I respect Mehmet Yağız "cNed" İpek a lot. He was obviously probably one of the best players in 2021. So like you said, it was big shoes to fill. But obviously my shoe, I wouldn’t even say big shoes to fill, I’d say different shoes to fill, because I’m not playing his role, right. I’m stepping into a different pair of shoes, and someone else had to pick up other shoes because of that, if that makes sense. I’m saying shoes a lot.

About the team dynamic, because I never played with the old team, but they did say that they felt more together, the team felt like they could progress. It’s really sad, because I really do feel like we deserve a win. And those players there, they deserve a win. I’ve only played two games, but they’ve played quite a lot. And yeah, like, I just hope we win one game, honestly."

THESPIKE: What’s your first opinion on the new map, summit? Do you like it?

waddle: "Yeah, I don’t hate the map. Summit is a bit of a nothing burger to me. Like, it’s okay. It’s not something I’m going crazy about. It’s not something I’m mad about."

PCFIC are still trying to achieve their first victory in the VCT since they joined, will waddle be able to do what cNed hasn't been able to do? Their next match is going to be on the 25th of July as they will face Team Vitality.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GGas we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

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