VALORANT — VCT Stage 2: G2 Stumbles in Americas, Paper Rex Delivers in Pacific, Several Surprises in China

The opening week of VALORANT VCT Americas Stage 2 offered a clearer picture of each team’s current level, particularly following several roster adjustments. On the side of G2 Esports, the temporary absence of Nathan "leaf" Orf due to health concerns led the team to bring in Andrej "babybay" Francisty as a stand-in. Despite this change, reigning champions presented a relatively stable performance. They managed to take a map off Sentinels, yet ultimately fell short as SN closed out the series 2–1.

At 100 Thieves, the spotlight was on the Drew “Kess” Lee, who stepped in to replace world champion and former in-game leader Kelden “Boostio” Pupello, recently benched by the organization. Kess made an immediate impact, securing an ace on Sunset in his debut match. The team launched their Stage 2 campaign with an assertive 2–0 victory over NRG, a formidable opponent in their own right.

Another major headline from this opening week was the return of the Brazilian squad LOUD, featuring a revamped roster. Robbie "RobbieBk" Boerkamp, formerly of Gentle Mates, made his debut in VCT Americas and played a key role in LOUD’s hard-fought 2–1 win over Leviatán. It was a promising start that signals renewed ambition from the Brazilian team heading into this new stage.

The Pacific region kicked off with a frenetic pace, as Paper Rex and TALON quickly emerged as the two most in-form squads of the week, each securing two clean victories in their opening matches. Talon dispatched BOOM Esports 2–0, while Masters Toronto champions mirrored the result with a dominant performance against T1. Both teams now appear well-positioned to pursue a flawless group stage.

Gen.G, who had previously impressed with a decisive 2–0 win over DRX, encountered a surprising setback against Rex Regum Qeon. In what became the week’s first major upset, Gen.G suffered a 2–1 defeat at the hands of RRQ. Led by Cahya "Monyet" Nugraha, RRQ capitalized on every misstep to claim the series.

The first week of VCT China Stage 2 was anything but predictable, featuring several upsets that quickly reshaped expectations. Trace Esports delivered one of the most striking results by defeating EDward Gaming 2–1, punctuated by a dominant 13–3 victory on Icebox following a solid showing on Sunset. It was a tough blow for EDG, who opened their Stage 2 campaign with an unexpected loss.

Elsewhere, All Gamers overwhelmed Wolves Esports, Masters Toronto lower bracket finalist, in one of the week’s most one-sided series, cruising to 13–2 and 13–4 wins on Bind and Corrode, respectively. FunPlus Phoenix secured a confident 2–1 win over Nova, while Bilibili Gaming, driven by a strong performance and defeated 2-0 TYLOO to climb to the top of Group Alpha.

XLG and Dragon Ranger Gaming also recorded promising starts, though consistency will be key moving forward. The competitive level in the Chinese league is already ramping up quickly. With underdog teams landing early blows and top contenders stumbling out of the gate, the fight for playoff spots is shaping up to be highly contested.