Riot Games has unleashed the Global Power Rankings (GPR) for all 48 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) International League teams, with G2 Esports the top-ranked team.
The Champions Paris event, running from September 12 to October 5, will have a considerable impact on the GPR, with daily updates based on all match results. However, one can’t help but wonder how accurate the initial GPR will turn out to be, and if the system indicates a different VALORANT Champions Paris “Group of Death.”
The GPR suggests G2 Esports is the favorite to lift the trophy. Image Credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games
Let’s take a look at the team distributions in each group and the opening matchups of Champions Paris, considering Riot’s GPR.
Champions Paris Groups and Matchups by GPR
VALORANT esports fans might disagree with the GPR of teams, but they must keep in mind that this is just the first iteration, and Riot plans to make improvements to the system.
It also appears that the EWC 2025 was not considered an “International Event,” based on the Power Score of Team Heretics, and the fact that only Masters Bangkok, Master Toronto, and Champions Paris are listed.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 teams in the world, including the region they compete in and their “Power Score” outlined below.
- G2 Esports – 1521 (VCT Americas)
- Paper Rex – 1514 (VCT Pacific)
- Rex Regum Qeon – 1486 (VCT Pacific)
- Bilibili Gaming – 1467 (VCT China)
- NRG -1437 (VCT Americas)
- Team Liquid – 1436 (VCT EMEA)
- Fnatic – 1427 (VCT EMEA)
- T1 – 1421 (VCT Pacific)
- Dragon Ranger Gaming – 1416 (VCT China)
- Sentinels – 1412 (VCT Americas)
The top 10 teams are all competing at Champions Paris. However, Talon Esports (#11), NONGSHIM REDFORCE(#12), and Gen.G (#14) have failed to qualify via the Stage 2 events.
No Team Heretics or EDward Gaming in the top 10. Image Credit: Riot Games
One of the Champions Paris favorites, Team Heretics, is 17th with 1377 points, while defending champions EDward Gaming sit at 16th with 1387 points. The lowest-ranked competing in the French capital is MIBR at 27 with 1321 points.
Let’s take a look at the Champions Paris groups and opening matchups with the GPR added next to the team names.
Group A:
- Paper Rex (2) vs. Xi Lai Gaming (15)
- GIANTX (18) vs. Sentinels (10)
Group B:
- Bilibili Gaming (4) vs. MIBR (27)
- Rex Regum Qeon (3) vs. Fnatic (7)
Group C:
- Team Liquid (6) vs. DRX (13)
- NRG (5) vs. EDward Gaming (16)
Group D:
- G2 Esports (1) vs. Team Heretics (17)
- Dragon Ranger Gaming (9) vs. T1 (8)
According to the GPR, Paper Rex should have an easy time in Group A, while Group B could be the “Group of Death,” with Brazilian side MIBR having little chance of making it out, considering only the top two teams from each group advance to the Playoffs Stage.
The GPR suggests that defending champions EDward Gaming are unlikely to advance from Group C, while G2 Esports should have little trouble in Group D, which we consider the “Group of Death.” Many would disagree based solely on fan sentiment.
Riot Games has noted that, as Champions Paris progresses, fans should expect rankings to change from one day to the next.
How the VALORANT Global Power Rankings Work
Riot Games explained what the GPR, powered by Amazon Web Services, was designed for:
“GPR is designed to quantify the difference in strength between regions in a competitive structure where the vast majority of matches are played intra-regionally. The result is a comprehensive and transparent snapshot of the global competitive landscape that we believe will add extra depth to the discussion around which team is better.”
At the heart of the GPR is an Elo system, which consists of both individual team Elo and league-specific Elo. After testing with VCT experts, Riot Games settled on an 80 Team / 20 League weighting, which “produced the most significant predictive accuracy. The blend is called the “Power Score”, and Riot Games included a little formula which you can view below.
The Power Score equation. Image Credit: Riot Games
The X represents the weight assigned to Team Elo, and the Y represents the weight assigned to League Elo.
The Power Score Explained
Winning a match against a team with a higher Power Score has a bigger positive impact, and losing to a team with a lower Power Score has a greater negative impact. Other factors that have a significant effect on a team’s Power Score include recency bias, international event bonuses, the match’s stakes, and regional strength. Factors that are considered, but have a lesser impact, include performance on Attack/Defense, performance in eco/buy rounds, and round score.
The GPR is only the first step to “an objective measure of strength that can accurately compare teams from around the world.”
Riot Games plans to incorporate situational performance and granular eco data, along with dynamic K factors that consider team stakes in a match. For instance, if a team has already qualified for a Masters event and has nothing to lose. Last but not least, the developer mentioned that 2026 plans include individual player-based power rankings, which will contribute to the squad’s overall GPR.