VCT EMEA 2025 Stage 2 Playoffs Preview

The group stage has come to an end, and it’s time for the remaining eight teams to battle it out in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 2 playoffs. Three tickets to VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions are up for grabs, and the bracket is stacked, full of heavy hitters. Here’s your full breakdown of the schedule, contenders, opening matches, and more going into the final weeks of Stage 2.

Format and Bracket Structure

The playoffs will follow the classic double-elimination bracket format. The results of the group stage determine where the teams start their journey.

• Group winners: Advance directly to the Upper Bracket Semifinals.
• 2nd & 3rd place teams: Enter in Upper Bracket Round 1.
• 4th place teams: Begin in Lower Bracket Round 1.

Every match is a Bo3, except for the Lower Final and Grand Final, which will be Bo5s.

Key dates and schedule

The playoffs take place over two weeks, beginning August 21 and ending August 31. The first week will feature two matches per day, while the second week is reserved for Finals Weekend.

Daily timetable:

• Game 1: 5:00 PM CEST
• Game 2: 8:00 PM CEST

Schedule overview:

• Week One: August 21–24 (8 matches)
• Week Two: August 29–31 (4 matches)

EMEA group stage recap

Four teams from each group have earned a spot in the playoffs. Team Heretics are the top seed from Group Alpha, with a flawless 5-0 score. From Group Omega, Team Liquid came out on top with a 4-1 record. By being top seeds, they both earn a direct spot in the Upper Bracket Semifinals.

Next in line are Fnatic and GIANTX, who finished in second place in their respective groups. They are the first to enter the battlefield on August 21, where they will face the third-place contenders: BBL Esports and Natus Vincere. The winners will meet Heretics and Liquid in the Upper Semifinals, while the losers will have to fight for survival in the first elimination matches of the Lower Bracket.

Team Vitality and Karmine Corp face an uphill battle starting in the Lower Bracket after finishing last in their groups. They will meet the losers from the first round of the Upper Bracket.

Opening Matches

To kick off the playoffs, Fnatic and BBL will face off at 5:00 PM CEST on August 21. Fnatic ended with a 4-1 score in Group Omega, while BBL had a tougher time, finishing 3-2 in Group Alpha. The last time these two teams met was in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Kickoff, where BBL defeated Fnatic. However, Fnatic leads the all-time record 3-1, which suggests a favorable outcome for them this time as well.

The second match at 8:00 PM CEST on the same day is between GX and NAVI. Both teams finished with a 3-2 score in the group stage. Historically, NAVI has had the upper hand, with wins against GIANTX in both VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 1 and EWC VALORANT - Esports World Cup 2025.

Players to Watch

The top three players to keep an eye on during the playoffs are:

• Uğur "Ruxic" Güç from NAVI
• Georgio "Keiko" Sanassy from Team Liquid
• Enes "RieNs" Ecirli from Team Heretics

All three posted a rating of over 1.20 during the group stage, playing a key role in securing their teams’ spots in the Upper Bracket.

One standout team is Team Heretics, bulldozing through every opponent. They are the first team to go undefeated in the group stage three times in a row and are currently on a ten-match win streak. They also secured the EWC trophy earlier in July.

Prize Pool

The teams are competing for a $250,000 prize pool. The winner will take home $100,000 and the title of Stage 2 Champions. The rest of the prize pool will be distributed among second to sixth place. The top two teams that get to the Grand Finals will also grab a ticket each to Champions Paris.

In addition, Championship Points are on the line. A total of 19 points are up for grabs, with the winner of EMEA Stage 2 earning 7 points. These points may not seem like the flashiest prize, but with five teams across the regions already qualifying for Champions Paris through the point system, every team wants as many points as possible to grab the last spot to Champs.

Where to Watch

The matches will be streamed primarily on Twitch and YouTube, with multiple language options for fans to choose from:

English

• Twitch
• YouTube

French

• Twitch
• YouTube

German

• Twitch
• YouTube

Spanish

• Twitch

Turkish

• Twitch
• Youtube

Stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG for updates and coverage as the playoffs unfold across the regions.