This Thursday, July 24, MIBR’s Game Changers team claimed victory in the Stage 2 finals of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers Brazil, defeating Team Liquid Brazil 3-1. This win marks MIBR’s first title of 2025 and third overall since joining the Game Changers scene. After dominating the two final splits of 2024, MIBR fell to TL earlier this year in Stage 1 — making this victory a sweet revenge and a crucial step toward securing a spot at the 2025 Game Changers Championship.

In front of a live crowd at Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, the two Brazilian powerhouses clashed in a four-map series. The defending champions, Team Liquid, struck first with a convincing 13-6 win on Haven, their map pick, led by a standout performance from Julia “Jelly” Iris, who dropped 26 kills with a 355 Average Combat Score (ACS).

A Comeback Made in Brazil

The momentum shifted in Map 2 on Sunset, where MIBR eked out a 13-11 win thanks to an explosive performance from Nicolas “srN” Niederauer, who racked up 31 kills and a 335 ACS on Neon — opening the floodgates for MIBR on its map pick. Map 3 proved even tighter. Despite trailing 3-9, MIBR rallied for a 15-13 overtime win, showcasing a solid team effort. The final battleground, Icebox, was another nail-biter. Despite Jelly’s 34 kills, MIBR managed to clutch out a 14-12 win, sealing the series 3-1 and lifting the Stage 2 trophy.

It was a back-and-forth battle between two of the region’s biggest rivals. Since the start of 2024, TL and MIBR have now faced off seven times, with TL leading the head-to-head 5-2. This win, then, holds extra weight for MIBR and especially for one player in particular: Paula “bstrdd” Naguil.

A former Team Liquid historic player, bstrdd competed with the blue and white from 2022 through Stage 2 of 2025, collecting 21 first-place finishes across various Game Changers tournaments with the team. After sweeping MIBR 3-0 in the Stage 1 final earlier this year, she made the bold move to switch horses, joining MIBR shortly after. A choice that proved successful right from the first split with this victory against her former team. This victory is her 22nd win in a Game Changers event, making her the most titled GC player in Brazil.

In pole position

With this win, MIBR now sits in prime position to qualify for the 2025 Game Changers Championship in Seoul this November. While the Stage 2 victory doesn’t grant automatic qualification, it does award 80 circuit points, bringing MIBR’s total to 130 (they earned 50 points as Stage 1 runners-up). Team Liquid remains close behind at 125 points, having earned 60 from Stage 1 and 65 from Stage 2.

Everything now hinges on the Final Stage. The winner will receive direct qualification to the World Championship, while the runner-up will earn a valuable 100 circuit points, a good way to secure a spot in the Last Chance Qualifier Americas and try to qualify for the Worlds.

With both squads having traded splits this season, all eyes are on whether MIBR and TL will continue to dominate Brazil’s Game Changers scene during the last stageof the year. MIBR is hunting for a return to the Championship stage, after finishing second last year, while Team Liquid looks to reclaim a spot at Worlds after missing the 2024 edition.