VALORANT: GIANTX defeat Eternal Fire and win Project Blender

GIANTX claimed the inaugural Project Blender title on Sunday after defeating Eternal Fire in the final. The Spanish organization, which fielded the same roster it used throughout the season—and will retain for next year—overcame an outsider Eternal Fire side that had eliminated several Tier 1 teams on its path to the final.

Eight VCT EMEA teams entered the competition at the start of the third phase. The event also served as an opportunity for organizations such as Karmine Corp, Natus Vincere, GentleMates, and others to unveil their rosters for the upcoming season.

Having already defeated Eternal Fire during the previous phase of the competition, GIANTX once again faced the Turkish squad, who were seeking revenge after eliminating ULF Esports and Team Vitality to reach the final. Despite a few difficulties, GIANTX handled the tournament with composure, securing convincing victories over all of its opponents—including Natus Vincere and the surprising Team Liquid Academy.

In the final, the Spanish side struck first by winning their map pick on Abyss (13–9), largely thanks to the performances of Miłosz "westside" Duda and Eduard-George "ara" Hanceriuc. After a tightly contested first half, GIANTX pulled ahead on defense to take the lead in the series. The Turkish team responded emphatically on Sunset, dominating the map with a great showing (13-5). Led by Asil "skyLeN" Yalçın, who reached 330 ACS, Eternal Fire forced a decisive third map.

With the series tied, GIANTX left little room for doubt on Bind, asserting its status as the favorite. Leading 8–4 at the end of the first half—powered by a standout performance from Kirill "Cloud" Nekhozhin—the Spanish team built a lead it never relinquished, closing out the map 13–7 to become the first-ever Project Blender champions.

Earlier in the day, during the Consolation Final, Team Vitality defeated Team Liquid Academy 2–0 to secure third place in the tournament. The French organization took advantage of the event to give its young prospect Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu his first competitive appearances. The player proved influential, finishing the day with the highest rating on his team at 1.25.