After two weeks of intense competition, the VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris have officially revealed the playoff bracket for the most important tournament of the year, scheduled to take place from September 25 to October 5. Following the group stage, which ran from September 12 to 22, the eight qualified teams have now been determined. They will battle it out in pursuit of the highly coveted title of World Champion.
The remaining eight contenders will begin their playoff journey this Thursday, September 25, in a
double-elimination bracket, giving every team a chance to bounce back from an early setback. Kicking things off will be Paper Rex, winners of Masters Toronto, against G2 Esports, the top seed from VCT Americas. This clash between two of the tournament favorites, who also claimed first and second place in our
Power Rankings, promises to set the tone for the playoffs.
VALORANT Champions Paris 2025 bracket
Champions Bracket - Credit: Riot Games
Later that same day, Fnatic will face DRX. These two legendary organizations have competed at every single Champions since
VALORANT’s launch, consistently reaching the playoffs along the way. Coming out second in Group C, the South Korean squad managed to defeat Team Liquid, the number one seed from EMEA, not once but twice during the group stage, potentially giving them a psychological edge over Fnatic. Still, the European giants secured the top spot in Group B and remain formidable. FNC versus DRX has become something of a tradition, as the two have met at every edition of Champions so far.
The winner’s bracket quarterfinals will continue with Team Heretics, champions of the Esports World Cup, taking on MIBR, one of the biggest surprises of the tournament. Ranked last in our pre-event Power Rankings, the Brazilian side exceeded all expectations by eliminating Bilibili Gaming, China’s number one seed, as well as RRQ, to clinch their spot in the playoffs.
The Chinese Collapse
The final series of this first playoff round will feature NRG against GIANTX, with a ticket to the winner’s bracket semifinals on the line. NRG emerged from Group C in first place against all odds, defeating both EDward Gaming and DRX, and enter the playoffs as one of the most unexpected success stories so far. On the other side, GX, the fourth seed from EMEA, have also impressed in their first international appearance of the year, dispatching major names such as Sentinels and XLG Esports.
As for the disappointments, the VCT China region clearly stands out. Despite strong contenders like EDward Gaming, the reigning Champions winners, and Bilibili Gaming, a dominant first seed in their domestic league, none of the four Chinese representatives made it out of the group stage. To make matters worse, three of them, Dragon Ranger, BLG, and EDG, finished bottom of their respective groups. Only XLG salvaged some pride with a third-place finish in Group A, but it wasn’t enough to qualify for the playoffs.
Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
