VALORANT: Team Liquid sweep GIANTX to win VCT EMEA Stage 2

On Sunday, Team Liquid dominated GIANTX in the VALORANT VCT EMEA Stage 2 Grand Final, clinching victory in three maps — Bind, Lotus, and Sunset — to reclaim the regional crown. Led by an imperial Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin, voted MVP of the final, Liquid confirmed their status as EMEA seed 1 ahead of Champions in Paris. Both finalists will represent EMEA among the top seeds, joined by Fnatic and Team Heretics.

On Bind, GIANTX struck first. Carried by a very clean Miłosz "westside" Duda on his timings and an inspired Grzegorz "GRUBINHO" Ryczko, GX took the pistol and the first gun, digging an early lead. Liquid responded by adjusting their rhythm and utilities, the tide turned at the side change, and the Blues closed out the map 13–10, the first crack in GX's armor.

Liquid’s performance on Lotus set the tone for the evening: lots of group timing plays, confident aim duels, and a tempo that was a notch higher. In round 4, Nikita "trexx" Cherednichenko scored a 4K scout on A in 3 sec, reviving GX and sealing a 7–5 halftime lead in their favor. But in the second half, Liquid started with three clean rounds, nAts pulled off an anti-hero 1v4, Kamil "kamo" Frąckowiak followed suit, and the map raced towards a 13–9 score that already gave TL match points.

With their backs against the wall on Sunset, GIANTX hung on but trailed behind in the score. Liquid pulled ahead 12–7, GX went all out, closing the gap to 12–10, but failed to shake a TL team that locked down the 23rd round. Final score: 13–10, 3–0 in the series, and a trophy that returns to Liquid after a generally controlled final.

Individually, nAts served as a metronome and circuit breaker, the best cumulative rating in the final (1.28), constant presence at key moments, and a measurable impact both in duels and in utility. In terms of “raw” numbers, the stats crowns him MVP of the series and credits him with a 60/48/22 (+12) and an overall ADR of 162. trexx, Georgio "keiko" Sanassy, and Kamo each had their moments of influence at key moments, such as nAts' clutch and kamo's subsequent sequence that killed the suspense on Lotus.

The context also tells the story of the structural strength of the two finalists. Liquid climbed to the top of the bracket, defeating BBL Esports in the upper final, while GIANTX sprinted through the lower bracket, defeating Natus Vincere and then sweeping BBL to earn a spot in the grand final. The venue, dates, format, and lineups confirm that this was a dense and challenging EMEA stage.

Now it's time to look ahead to VALORANT Champions 2025 in France from September 12 to October 5. Liquid arrives as the regional boss, GIANTX as the combative runner-up. If EMEA wants to sit on the world throne, Liquid's performance in Berlin is exactly what is expected.