VALORANT: Fnatic first EMEA team locked for Champions Paris

On Wednesday, Fnatic officially secured a spot at the 2025 VALORANT Champions in Paris, becoming the first team from the EMEA region to qualify. The British organization's 2–0 win over Apeks in Stage 2, combined with their season-long accumulation of Championship Points, propelled them over the threshold for Paris. The tournament will take place from 12 September to 5 October in the Karmine Corp arena at Évry-Courcouronnes and at the Accor Arena.

This ticket was effectively earned on championship points. In Stage 1, Fnatic swept Team Heretics 3–0 to win VCT EMEA Stage 1, securing a direct Playoffs seed for Masters Toronto and a valuable bundle of regional points (9). They then reached the Masters Toronto Grand Final, finishing second to Paper Rex a result that awarded them five more Championship Points under Riot's 2025 system. With their victory against Apeks, Fnatic secured a fourth point in Stage 2 of the VCT EMEA (a group stage win earns one point). The Black and Orange therefore, have 18 points and are mathematically qualified.

Internationally, Fnatic’s summer campaign further solidified their reputation, despite narrowly missing out on the trophy. In Toronto, they lost 1–3 to Paper Rex in the final after a strong playoff run. A month later, at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, they were runners-up again when Team Heretics completed a dramatic reverse sweep in the final. Two consecutive silver medals, one on the VCT circuit and one at the EWC, highlight the team’s consistency as they head into Champions.

Fnatic will travel without Swedish initiator Leo “Leo” Jannesson. Team director Colin “CoJo” Johnson announced on X that Austin “Crashies” Roberts will compete in the Champions tournament, and that Leo will not be playing this season. A broader update on Leo's future is planned for the coming months. Leo has been inactive since the beginning of 2024 due to health reasons, with crashies filling the role in his absence throughout 2025.

With Fnatic having qualified via points, the list of confirmed teams for the Paris Champions event currently stands at G2 Esports and Sentinels, who have both secured their place through Championship Points. They are now joined by Fnatic, who are the first team to represent the EMEA region. The remaining slots across EMEA, the Americas, China and the Pacific will be decided through the Stage 2 playoffs and final point calculations.