VALORANT Champions 2025 Playoffs preview: Track by track toward the trophy?

After a extremely aggressive Group Stage filled with shut comebacks and surprising underdog victories, VALORANT Champions 2025 is heading into the Playoffs.

Between September twenty fifth and October fifth, eight groups (3 EMEA, 3 Americas, 2 Pacific) will struggle by a double-elimination bracket to carry the Champions trophy. Whereas the likes of Fnatic and Paper Rex purpose so as to add one other worldwide trophy to their assortment, underdogs similar to GIANTX and NRG search to proceed their miracle runs.

Earlier than the playoffs kick off, Esports Insider takes a deep dive into the VALORANT Champions 2025 Playoffs bracket to look at which roster would possibly win all of it.

The VALORANT Champions 2025 Playoffs will kick off September twenty fifth at 2 PM BST with a extremely anticipated collection between VCT Pacific’s Paper Rex (PRX) and VCT Americas workforce G2 Esports.

Each rosters have gained Stage 2 occasions of their respective area. G2, specifically, has been a dominant pressure in its VCT league, securing each single regional title all through this yr.

Nonetheless, G2 has by no means gained a world trophy. PRX, then again, has already confirmed itself on the worldwide stage with its latest victory at Masters Toronto.

PRX has had a convincing Group Stage debut at Champs, defeating Group A opponents XLG Esports (2-0) and GIANTX (2-1). Group D’s G2 suffered a stunning upset by the hands of Staff Heretics (0-2) and needed to persevere towards Dragon Ranger Gaming (2-0) and T1 (2-0) to qualify. 

The one doable benefit G2 may have heading into the match-up versus PRX is that the Pacific workforce has not but been examined on Corrode and Abyss all through the Group Stage.

Nonetheless, PRX must be barely favoured on this collection since its particular person gamers have showcased higher consistency and flexibility thus far.

The second Playoffs match tomorrow will likely be between VCT EMEA legend Fnatic and Pacific underdog DRX. 

That is an fascinating match-up, as simply trying on the names, some would possibly view Fnatic because the clear favorite. In any case, this workforce is among the many few that have already got two worldwide titles below its belt whereas sustaining its regional dominance for a number of years. 

Nonetheless, following its second-place finishes on the Esports World Cup and Masters Toronto, Fnatic had a big downfall in EMEA’s Stage 2 Playoffs. At Champions Paris, the roster gained its Group B matches versus Rex Regum Qeon (2-0) and MIBR (2-1), albeit not with out struggles. Its new double-sentinel workforce composition, that includes Vyse and Sage, won’t be as efficient going into the Playoffs.

DRX has additionally had its fair proportion of challenges all through the 2025 season, however now appears revitalised on the stage in Paris. The speculation behind its double-duelist workforce composition and the synergy between Track ”HYUNMIN‘ Hyun-min’s Waylay and Cho ‘Flashback‘ Min-hyuk’s Yoru are tougher to navigate than Fnatic’s set methods.

Except Fnatic comes extremely prepped with improved strategic depth, DRX ought to have the higher hand on this match-up.

VCT EMEA’s Staff Heretics versus the Americas’ workforce MIBR will happen on September twenty sixth as a part of the second facet of the Playoffs bracket. With out giants, similar to G2 Esports and Paper Rex, inside this group, groups are arguably extra more likely to make deep event runs if the organisations can get off to a great begin. In the end, Staff Herectics could possibly be one of many fortunate winners of the Playoffs draw.

Like Fnatic, Heretics’ efficiency tanked throughout EMEA’s Stage 2 Playoffs, leading to debates in regards to the roster’s consistency and talent to compete below strain. On high of that, the Spanish organisation was a part of probably the most stacked group throughout the Champions Group Stage. This makes its undefeated Group D run much more spectacular, as Heretics first defeated G2 (2-0) after which Masters Bangkok champion T1 (2-0), all with out trying considerably challenged. 

MIBR’s rise to the Playoffs occurred in a similar way, because the Brazilian workforce didn’t even qualify for the Stage 2 Playoffs in its area. Nonetheless, at Champions, MIBR defied expectations by upsetting China’s Stage 2 champion Bilibili Gaming (2-0) and later dominating within the decider match towards Rex Regum Qeon (2-0).

Nonetheless, MIBR’s solo Waylay has restricted entry energy and at occasions depends on considerably predictable set performs.

Except Heretics makes one other large fumble like in Stage 2, MIBR may have a troublesome time in its first Playoffs collection.

September twenty sixth will proceed with a collection between two darkish horses that certified for Champions 2025 solely by a second-place end of their respective regional Stage 2 tournaments.

VCT Americas’ NRG versus EMEA’s GIANTX is a match-up of underdogs, but additionally of rookie gamers. Whereas NRG is spearheaded by 2023 Champions winner Ethan ‘Ethan’ Arnold, three of its members made their worldwide debut below the NRG banner this yr. The identical applies to GIANTX, whose rookies are led by 2023 Champions attendee, Kirill ‘Cloud’ Nekhozhin.

Noteworthy can also be that each Ethan and Cloud are pretty inexperienced in-game leaders (IGLs) and have obtained steering of their new roles from their stellar teaching employees, together with Malkolm ‘bonkar’ Rench (NRG) and Daniil ‘pipsoN’ Meshcheryakov, in addition to Jan ‘wayLander’ Rahkonen (GIANTX). NRG’s and GIANTX’s coaches have had a big impression on the calling type of their IGLs and on mid-game changes following timeouts.

What would possibly set NRG aside is that Ethan and his workforce have displayed constant enchancment all through Stage 2 and Champs, notably relating to the roster’s attack-side macro gameplay. In the meantime, the standard of Cloud’s calling has been inconsistent at occasions, leaving GIANTX to rely extra closely on particular person performances.

The results of this collection would possibly come right down to a coin flip, however this coin appears barely biased in favour of NRG.

The latest Playoffs draw has blessed VALORANT followers with extremely shut match-ups, permitting a number of the less-experienced groups on the second facet of the Playoffs to succeed in excessive placements at Champions 2025.

As well as, the decrease bracket is assured to characteristic a number of the greatest names within the present VALORANT esports scene. For viewers, this implies entertaining matches all through upper- and lower-bracket runs. 

On the identical time, such shut match-ups are additionally difficult to foretell, as demonstrated by the numerous incorrect Group Stage Choose’Ems. Contemplating the latest Group Stage performances, PRX and G2 stay the 2 favourites of the event. Nonetheless, the hole between these two and rising stars, similar to NRG and GIANTX, is closing. 

Statistically, Staff Heretics — and particularly Mert ‘Wo0t’ Alkan — sometimes performs worse throughout Playoffs in comparison with the roster’s Group Stage showings. Due to this fact, Staff Heretics could wrestle to persevere by such a stacked bracket.

In the meantime, groups like Fnatic, DRX and MIBR seemingly lack the strategic depth and flexibility to outlive towards well-prepared opponents.

In the long run, this author believes it’s between NRG and GIANTX on the subject of difficult the large two on the high. Though the groups’ Decrease Bracket Remaining victory towards a well-oiled G2 is unlikely, their rookie rosters have already shocked viewers with their firepower and adaptableness on VALORANT’s greatest stage.

Lastly, it must be famous that G2 has been the occasion favorite for each single worldwide competitors of 2025 thus far and has but to stay as much as these expectations. In consequence, by placing religion in G2’s earlier worldwide outcomes, the logical conclusion is to say that Paper Rex, track-by-track, will attain the very high of the Champions podium.

To seek out out which workforce will find yourself lifting the VALORANT Champions 2025 trophy, followers can tune into the video games by way of VCT’s official YouTube and Twitch channels.