The race to qualify for VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris is heating up, with the final spots in VCT Americas and VCT Pacific coming down to decisive matches that will determine who earns a shot at the $2.25 million prize pool.
The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) China Stage 2 event recently concluded in a thrilling redemption arc, and the EMEA Stage 2 is set for a nail-biting race to the finish line.
With the Stage 2 Finals Weekend on the horizon, there’s one Champions Paris spot left in VCT Americas and one in Pacific.
One match in each region will determine which team travels to France for Champs from September 12 to October 5.
Cloud9 takes down 100 Thieves in VCT Americas. Image Credit: Riot Games
For some teams, it will be heartbreak; for others, pure jubilation. VALORANT fans will see it all unfold on the road to Paris.
Cloud9 and NRG clash in VCT Americas
In VCT Americas, the last two teams with a chance to claim a spot in Champions Paris have their fates in their own hands. Cloud9 and NRG will have done well to keep their hopes alive, with both coming out on top of their Lower Bracket Quarterfinal matches.
NRG beat down Leviatán with a sparkly clean 2-0 (13-2 on Ascent and 13-2 on Icebox), while Cloud9 took care of business against 100 Thieves in a relatively close 2-0 (13-9 on Haven and 16-14 on Icebox), with overtime required on the final map to secure victory.
NRG and Cloud9 will duke it out in the Lower Bracket Semifinal match at VCT Americas Stage 2. The victor secures a spot at Champions Paris, while the loser’s season ends.
Only one of C9 and NRG will advance from VCT Americas to Champs. Image Credit: Riot Games
Eyes are on Cloud9’s Francis “OXY” Hoang, who’s picked up a whopping five match MVPs in Stage 2 thus far, the most of any VCT Americas player.
While Cloud9 might have the rising star, one definitely shouldn’t overlook NRG’s Canadian Duelist, Adam “mada” Pampuch, who’s in form and ready to click heads with vigor.
Let’s not forget that leading the NRG team is Ethan “Ethan” Arnold, who became a world champion with Evil Geniuses a couple of years ago, winning Champions 2023.
NRG are the favorites on paper, but anything can happen in a best-of-three with these incredibly high stakes.
DRX can do nothing but watch in VCT Pacific
In VCT Pacific, T1, Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ), and Paper Rex have secured spots at Champions Paris based on their seasonal VCT points and Stage 2 placements.
The final spot will go to either TALON or DRX. The latter can do nothing but watch on August 30 as the Lower Bracket Final match between TALON and RRQ decides their fate.
TALON is one win away from heading to Paris. Image Credit: Riot Games
If TALON beat RRQ, they’ll be headed to the French capital. However, if TALON loses the match, DRX will qualify for Paris based on the VCT points earned throughout the season. The squads are evenly matched, making the best-of-five Lower Bracket Final match at VCT Pacific Stage 2 a thrilling affair.
Eyes are on RRQ’s Indonesian star, Cahya “monyet” Nugraha, who has earned three match MVPs in Stage 2 thus far. On the TALON side, Taiwanese player Papaphat “Primmie” Sriprapha has led his team across the line a couple of times, taking two MVP accolades in the process.
The squads are evenly matched, making the best-of-five Lower Bracket Final match at VCT Pacific Stage 2 a potentially thrilling affair.
The Finals Weekend for both the VCT Pacific and Americas regions takes place on August 30 and 31. When the dust settles across all jurisdictions this weekend, the complete team list and seedings for Champions Paris will be locked in.