“It was the weirdest feeling in my life, I was in shock” - GIANTX westside on qualifying for Champs as a rookie

VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 2 has officially come to a close, as Team Liquid lifted the trophy after a dominant performance over GIANTX in the Grand Final. Following the loss, GIANTX’s Miłosz "westside" Duda took some time to sit down with THESPIKE.GG to break down the emotions of qualifying for VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions and what it means to compete as a rookie in one of VALORANT’s most competitive regions.

Finals Fallout: “We Weren’t Even at 50 Percent”

GIANTX came into the Grand Final riding high off a clean 3-0 sweep against BBL Esports in the Lower Final. Sadly, GIANTX’s magic ran out and had to go home without a trophy. Going into the match, westside knew it was going to be a tough matchup, having already lost to Liquid earlier in the playoffs. westside described how the the emotional high of qualifying for Champions Paris just a day earlier affected their performance in the Grand Final.

“The night was hard because it's super hard to sleep with emotions when you qualify for Paris for the first time in your life. You know you're super happy, hyped out, and I slept badly.”

The many emotions that came with qualification made it harder for GIANTX to claim the EMEA trophy. According to westside, their performance against Liquid wasn’t even half of what it could have been. Being "scared to take fights," "not making the right plays in crucial moments," and "losing rounds they easily could have won" are all things they’ll have to work on going forward according to westside.

Qualifying for Champs

While the loss stings, GIANTX can still walk away from Stage 2 proud. westside described qualifying for Champs as a dream he wasn’t sure was real, and the entire team had a hard time believing they’d actually made it.

“I think it was the weirdest feeling of my life. I think I didn’t believe it at the moment when we won. I was super in shock.”

The team underwent a major rebuild earlier this year, bringing in Eduard-George "ara" Hanceriuc and Karel "Flickless" Maeckelbergh in April 2025 after a slow start in Kickoff and Stage 1. They hoped to turn things around in Stage 2 and westside thinks the GIANTX as an org is very happy with what the new squad was able to achieve in such a short time.

“I think they are super, super happy about it because they were expecting us in the beginning to achieve a lot, but we couldn't make it. So now we gave them what they expected.”

Rookie Impact: Rising Fast on the Big Stage

One of the most impressive aspects of GIANTX’s run is that the squad is powered by three rookies. westside himself was new to VCT when he joined the team in November 2024. Both ara and Flickless joined from UCAM Esports and had no previous VCT experience before April this year. Even though westside and his rookie teammates have done an incredible job on stage, qualifying for the biggest event of the year wasn’t something he expected to do in his first VCT year.

“I was not expecting, when I came here at first, to reach Champions, for sure.”

Reflecting on his own performance, westside is happy with what he has accomplished, but believes both he and his teammates are capable of more. According to him, the Lower Final against BBL was one of the best games they’ve ever played, and they’ll only get better by learning from their mistakes and playing more consistently.

“I would say I'm happy [with his performance], but I know all of us—we can do so much more. We know we are playing good, but I also know that we’re not playing at 100 percent.”

Challenges await in Paris

Now, all eyes turn to Champions Paris. Qualifying for Champs with three rookies on the squad is an incredible achievement, but it can also pose challenges heading into an international event. Experience is something many players value above all, and that’s something GIANTX will be lacking in Paris. westside believes the most important component for the team to work on is their mindset.

“I think the part that we will have to work on is going to be the mindset that we’re coming with into Paris. Because at the end of everything, you need to have the mindset that no matter what team you play, they are also human.”

When asked who he’s most excited to face at Champs, westside didn’t hesitate: Sentinels and Paper Rex. A longtime fan of Tyson "TenZ" Ngo, westside had hoped to face him in an international setting. But with TenZ retiring just as westside made his VCT debut, that dream will have to stay a dream. Still, he thinks facing Sentinels would be a fun matchup.

After the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Americas Stage 2 Finals, the groups were drawn for Champs—and westside’s wishes came true. Their first match in Paris will be against the experienced Sentinels, and if the stars align, they might meet PRX, who also got a spot in their group.

For all things VALORANT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we get closer to Champions Paris.