The Champions Paris 2025 will take place from September 12 to October 5, bringing together 16 elite teams to battle it out for the title of
VALORANT World Champion. Throughout the season, 48 teams from around the globe have competed across the four International Leagues that make up the VCT circuit, all striving to earn their place at this prestigious final event in France.
Champions in 2024, EDward Gaming is now qualified via the VCT CN Championship Points, aiming to defend their title this year in Paris. Just like in the EMEA, Pacific, and Americas leagues,
only four teams from each region will qualify for this prestigious tournament.
Qualified Teams for VALORANT Champions Paris 2025
- G2 Esports (VCT Americas)
- Sentinels (VCT Americas)
- MIBR (VCT Americas)
- NRG (VCT Americas)
- Fnatic (VCT EMEA)
- Team Liquid (VCT EMEA)
- Team Heretics (VCT EMEA)
- GIANTX (VCT EMEA)
- Bilibili Gaming (VCT CN)
- EDward Gaming (VCT CN)
- XLG Esports (VCT CN)
- Dragon Ranger Gaming (VCT CN)
- Paper Rex (VCT Pacific)
- T1 (VCT Pacific)
- Rex Regum Qeon (VCT Pacific)
- DRX (VCT Pacific)
How to Qualify for Champions Paris
There are two ways for teams to qualify: either by finishing in the top two of their league at the end of Stage 2, or by being one of the two remaining teams with the most points in their region’s
Championship Points Standings. This ranking is built over the course of the season, based on each team’s success and placements during the Kickoff, the two Stages, and the
Masters—if they managed to qualify for it.
VCT Americas
G2 Esports
G2 Esports became the first team to qualify for Champions 2025, securing their spot right after the end of Masters Toronto. Thanks to a dominant lead in the VCT Americas Championship Points Standings, the Samurai had already locked in their ticket to Paris. With first-place finishes at both the Kickoff and Stage 1, a runner-up result at Masters Bangkok, and a Top 4 finish in Toronto, Nathan “leaf” Orf and his teammates are considered one of the heavy favourites heading into the tournament.
Sentinels
Sentinels were the second team to punch their ticket, clinching qualification on August 2 following their third consecutive win in Stage 2 of VCT Americas. Also, mathematically guaranteed a spot through points, they continue to prove themselves as a major force on the global stage—despite the departure of Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, one of the game’s biggest stars. After finishing second in both the Kickoff and Stage 1, SEN stands as the region’s second-strongest squad alongside G2, well ahead of the rest of the pack.
MIBR
The third team to qualify from VCT Americas, MIBR had to fight until the very last moment. Failing to reach the Stage 2 playoffs, the Brazilian organization no longer had its destiny in its own hands. Sitting in third place in the circuit points standings before the final matches, the team had to rely on an early elimination of KRÜ Esports. This kept their hopes of making it to Paris and the Champions event this September alive. That scenario eventually played out, as Leviatán secured a crucial win in the lower bracket against the Argentinian squad. After a disappointing Kickoff tournament and a third-place finish in Stage 1, it ultimately came down to just two additional points for MIBR to secure their spot. Their qualification also reflects the overwhelming dominance of two giants in the region, G2 Esports and Sentinels, who collected the lion’s share of points throughout the season.
NRG
With a Top 2 finish already secured in VCT Americas, NRG have emerged as one of the surprise stories of this year’s qualification race. Traditionally a mid-table contender, the North American organization had not particularly impressed in 2025, finishing 7th–8th at both Kickoff and Stage 1. Their turnaround began during the Esports World Cup qualifier, where NRG shocked many by taking first place. In their first international appearance since 2023, the roster managed to escape groups before falling in the quarterfinals to Gen.G Esports. That result, however, seems to have reignited the team’s spark. Heading into Champions Paris, NRG arrive with momentum, having battled through Cloud9, Sentinels, and Leviatán on their way to a Stage 2 grand final—securing not just their ticket, but also the confidence that they can stand among the best once again.
VCT EMEA
Fnatic
Fnatic became the third team to secure qualification for Champions Paris 2025, and the first organization from VCT EMEA to do so. Like G2 and Sentinels, they clinched their spot through the circuit points earned over the year. The British squad will now aim to break the curse that has haunted them at recent international events. After claiming first place in EMEA Stage 1, Fnatic headed to Masters Toronto looking to bounce back after missing out on Bangkok earlier in the year. They finished second there, falling to Paper Rex in the grand final, before losing that same matchup to Team Heretics just three weeks later at the Esports World Cup. Fnatic is the last club to have participated in every Champions in the history of VALORANT.
Team Liquid
Falling short in both of their international appearances in 2025, Team Liquid nevertheless remains one of the most reliable contenders in VCT EMEA, and once again prove it here by securing their spot at Champions Paris 2025. As the second team from the region to lock in qualification, right after Fnatic, they reaffirm their stability this season with a consistent presence in the Top 3. The only shadow on their record lies in their struggles on LAN, with a 5th–6th place finish at Masters Bangkok and a 9th–10th in Toronto, leaving a sense of doubt hanging over their chances heading into the upcoming World Championship this September.
Team Heretics
Crowned champions of the Esports World Cup 2025, Team Heretics have remained one of the most consistent forces in VCT EMEA, just behind Team Liquid and Fnatic. Although their Stage 2 run ended early with a quarterfinal exit in the lower bracket, the Spanish organization still arrives with strong international credentials, despite finishing last at Masters Toronto. With a Top 3 at Kickoff and a runner-up finish in Stage 1, TH have repeatedly proven they have the tools to make a deep run in Paris — though they won’t be the only team with that ambition.
VCT Pacific
Paper Rex
The first club from the VCT Pacific League to qualify for Champions Paris, Paper Rex enters the tournament as one of the clear favorites. Fresh off their victory at Masters Toronto, the Singaporean organization has finally broken the long-standing curse by securing its first-ever international title after nearly five years of high-level competition. With this landmark achievement, combined with their top 3 finish in Stage 1 of their regional league, PRX has locked in enough Pacific Standings points to book their ticket to France for the World Championship.
T1
After a rollercoaster season, T1 took full advantage of a stacked and highly competitive Pacific league to secure their spot at Champions Paris through circuit points. The legendary South Korean organization started the year as the unlucky runner-up of the Pacific Kickoff, before shocking almost everyone by lifting the Masters Bangkok trophy. Stage 1, however, was a disaster as the team completely fell short of expectations. But in Split 2, despite clear struggles, T1 managed to bounce back. Finishing third in their Omega group, they kicked off playoffs with a win over RRQ, only to fall in the very next round against Paper Rex. Sent down to the lower bracket, T1 made quick work of fellow Koreans Nongshim RedForce, clinching a top 4 finish in Stage 2, and, more importantly, securing just enough points to book their ticket to Worlds in Paris this September.
RRQ
The third team from the Pacific region to lock in their spot at Champions Paris, RRQ have undoubtedly been the biggest surprise of the VCT Pacific season. A mid-table roster in 2024, Rex Regum Qeon shocked the league during Stage 1 by finishing in first place — a run that earned them their very first international appearance at Masters Toronto. That debut proved short-lived, however, as the Indonesian squad were eliminated after two straight losses, winning just a single map. But with the circuit points gained there and now guaranteeing at least a Top 4 finish in Stage 2, RRQ have officially booked their tickets to Paris, where they will aim to chase the ultimate goal: a World Championship title.
DRX
Winners of the Pacific Kickoff, DRX gradually slipped as the season went on, ultimately securing only the #4 seed from their region for Champions Paris. Their qualification came down to the wire, saved by RRQ’s dramatic win over Talon in the grand final, which handed the Korean roster the last ticket to France. Since their quarterfinal exit in the Stage 2 lower bracket, DRX no longer had control of their own destiny. Missing out on the Esports World Cup and scraping through to Champions at the very last moment, the team now faces the urgent task of regaining confidence if they hope to deliver a strong performance in Paris.
VCT China
Bilibili Gaming
It has been a strange year for Bilibili Gaming, yet the team has managed to become the first Chinese club to qualify for Champions Paris this coming September. After finishing third at the Kickoff event behind EDward Gaming and Trace Esports, BLG bounced back to claim second place in Stage 1. That performance earned them a spot at Masters Toronto, their very first appearance on VALORANT’s official international circuit, despite being consistent participants at Champions since 2023. However, the momentum did not carry over. BLG fell flat both at the Canadian event and at the Esports World Cup, raising doubts about what expectations should reasonably be placed on the roster heading into Paris.
EDward Gaming
Reigning champions EDward Gaming had conquered everything on home soil in 2024, but 2025 has proven far less straightforward. Carrying the weight of being the team to beat, the Chinese squad still started the year strong by winning the Chinese Kickoff and securing a third-place finish at Masters Bangkok. Stage 1 turned out to be more challenging, as EDG placed in the Top 4 but, for the first time since 2022, failed to qualify for an international event. Thanks to the circuit points collected throughout the season, however, the club is already guaranteed a spot in France, where they will aim to defend their crown.
XLG Esports
XLG emerged as the surprise top seed for Masters Toronto after claiming first place in VCT China Stage 1 by defeating Bilibili in the grand final. In its very first year at the highest level, the organization has already secured appearances at both Masters Toronto and Champions Paris 2025. Despite a promising run that included a Top 8 finish in Canada and a 13th–16th place at the Esports World Cup, doubts remain over whether the Chinese roster can truly deliver on the international stage in Paris.
Dragon Ranger Gaming
Like XLG, DRG also rose from Ascension and will head to Paris for their second international appearance in two years, following Masters Shanghai 2024. Despite spending most of the season in the middle of the pack, Dragon Ranger Gaming secured qualification thanks to a strong Stage 2 run and a guaranteed Top 3 finish after reaching the winner’s bracket final.
Header Photo Credit: Riot Games
