The second day of VALORANT Champions Paris delivered exactly what fans feared most – the defending champions are in serious trouble. EDward Gaming and Team Liquid, two tournament favorites, both lost their opening matches in Group C.
NRG’s Incredible Comeback Against EDG
Nobody expected this. NRG pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Champions history by beating defending champions EDward Gaming 2-0. The match started like a disaster for the Americans but ended with an amazing comeback story.
On Abyss, EDward Gaming looked unstoppable. They raced to an 11-2 halftime lead using aggressive Yoru plays from ZmjjKK and explosive Neon rushes from Jieni7. Most teams would have given up at that point.
But NRG refused to quit. Adam “mada” Pampuch started finding openings with his Yoru teleports. Sam “s0m” Oh anchored sites perfectly with Harbor smokes. Ethan “Ethan” Arnold made crucial mid-round calls on KAY/O that kept his team in fights.
Round by round, NRG chipped away at EDG’s huge lead. They won the important eco rounds, turned their economy around, and somehow pushed the map to overtime. In those extra rounds, NRG’s discipline made the difference. Final score: 17-15 for NRG after one of the greatest comebacks in Champions history.
Map Two Seals the Deal
Corrode became even more intense. NRG stuck with their unique double-controller setup featuring mada on Jett, s0m on Harbor, and Ethan on Omen. EDward Gaming fought back hard, keeping things close at 6-6 by halftime.
The second half came down to tiny details. NRG won more post-plant situations. Their utility usage looked cleaner. Logan “skuba” Jenkins delivered multiple crucial multi-kills that broke EDG’s momentum.
Despite strong performances from Smoggy and Jieni7, EDward Gaming couldn’t close out important rounds. NRG sealed the series 13-11, completing a stunning 2-0 upset over the defending world champions.
DRX Dismantles Team Liquid
The second match brought another surprise. DRX, considered the weakest team in Group C, swept Team Liquid 2-0 with patient, structured gameplay.
DRX started strong on their Abyss pick, jumping to a 3-0 lead before Team Liquid fought back. Georgio “Keiko” Sanassy won several important duels while Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin pulled off a crucial clutch to keep Liquid competitive.
But DRX’s backbone held firm. Myeong-kwan “MaKo” Kim controlled the middle of the map perfectly with his Omen smokes. Cho “Flashback” Min-hyuk created openings with aggressive Yoru plays. Ha-jun “free1ng” No locked down flanks and lurk attempts.
The Korean team’s coordination looked flawless. They finished Abyss 13-8 through controlled executes and smart post-plant setups.
Liquid’s Map Choice Doesn’t Help
Team Liquid picked Bind hoping to even the series. They finally won their first pistol round of the match thanks to coordinated teamwork. Kamil “kamo” Frąckowiak delivered explosive entries while Patryk “paTiTek” Fabrowski provided perfect utility support.
Liquid led 8-6 and looked ready to force a third map. Then DRX called a timeout that changed everything. MaKo scored a huge 3K to start the comeback. Ha-bin “BeYN” Kang read Liquid’s patterns perfectly. Flashback punished hesitant plays from the Europeans.
Despite strong individual efforts from Nikita “trexx” Cherednichenko and Keiko’s excellent aim, Team Liquid couldn’t stop DRX’s momentum. The Koreans closed out Bind to complete their 2-0 victory.
Group C Gets Crazy
These results flip Group C completely upside down. The two supposed favorites – EDward Gaming and Team Liquid – both lost their opening matches. Meanwhile, the underdogs NRG and DRX are sitting pretty with 1-0 records.
What This Means,
- DRX faces NRG for first place in the group
- Team Liquid must beat EDward Gaming or face elimination
- Either the defending champions or EMEA’s Stage 2 winners will go home early
Meta Shifts Matter
Both matches showed how important the new meta has become. Teams that adapted to Abyss and Corrode changes looked much stronger. DRX’s patience and structure worked perfectly against Liquid’s aggressive style.
NRG’s unusual double-controller setup on Abyss caught EDG off guard. The Americans proved that creative compositions can upset even the most talented teams.
Champions Paris continues to deliver shocking results. If Day 1 set the stakes, Day 2 proved that nobody is safe when the world’s best teams meet in France.
Andrew "SuZki" Scola is a dedicated Valorant player who has been in the game since the Valorant beta release, achieving a peak rank of Immortal 3. With over six years of experience writing gaming content, he brings deep game knowledge and strategic insight to every article. Based in Los Angeles, California, Andrew is an active member of the SoCal Valorant community and has competed at the semi-pro level in Valorant esports. As a proud Killjoy and Raze main, he’s known for his sharp utility usage and high-impact plays—especially on his favorite maps: Haven, Breeze, and Lotus.