The group draw for Valorant Champions 2025 has been completed. All 16 teams have been divided into four balanced groups for the tournament that starts September 12 in Paris.
Tournament Format and Schedule
Valorant Champions 2025 runs from September 12 to October 5 in Paris, France. The tournament features two main stages with a $2,250,000 prize pool. The group stage happens from September 12-22 at Les Arènes de Grand Paris Sud, while the playoffs and grand finals take place from September 26 to October 5.
Teams compete in a double-elimination format during the group stage. All matches are best-of-three series. The top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs.
Group A Teams and Opening Matches
Group A features Paper Rex, GIANTX, Sentinels, and XLG Esports. Paper Rex enters as the first seed after winning Valorant Masters Toronto. Sentinels brings strong fan support from the Americas region.
GIANTX represents EMEA’s second seed, while XLG Esports from China hopes to avoid elimination and secure their VCT 2026 spot.
Opening matches for Group A are,
- Paper Rex vs XLG Esports
- Sentinels vs GIANTX
Group B Teams and Opening Matches
Group B contains Bilibili Gaming, Rex Regum Qeon, Fnatic, and MIBR. Bilibili Gaming leads as China’s top seed and Masters Toronto grand finalists. Fnatic brings years of international experience from EMEA.
Rex Regum Qeon represents Pacific’s second seed with their unpredictable playstyle. MIBR returns to the global stage representing Brazil.
Opening matches for Group B are,
- Fnatic vs Rex Regum Qeon
- Bilibili Gaming vs MIBR
Group C Teams and Opening Matches
Group C is called the “group of death” with Team Liquid, NRG, DRX, and EDward Gaming. Team Liquid won EMEA Stage 2 and brings deep map knowledge. EDward Gaming from China excels at aggressive early-round plays.
NRG showed improvement throughout the season with flexible strategies. DRX from Pacific maintains their reputation as one of the most disciplined teams globally.
Opening matches for Group C are,
- Team Liquid vs DRX
- EDward Gaming vs NRG
Group D Teams and Opening Matches
Group D features G2 Esports, Team Heretics, T1, and Dragon Ranger Gaming. G2 Esports comes in as VCT Americas champions and Masters Bangkok grand finalists. T1 won Masters Bangkok with their calculated approach.
Team Heretics claimed the Esports World Cup 2025 title representing EMEA. Dragon Ranger Gaming from China seeks to improve on their previous international performances.
Opening matches for Group D are,
- G2 Esports vs Dragon Ranger Gaming
- T1 vs Team Heretics
Predictions
Group D could feature a Masters Bangkok grand final rematch between G2 Esports and T1. Group C’s competitive balance makes every match crucial for advancement. The Chinese teams XLG Esports and Dragon Ranger Gaming face pressure beyond just Champions placement. The team that finishes lower must compete in Ascension to secure their VCT 2026 spot.
Each group offers balanced competition without a clear “group of death” scenario. Small details and individual performances will determine which teams advance to the playoffs starting September 26.
Sarah Smith is a passionate gamer girl who loves playing Valorant in her free time, climbing the ranks to Ascendant 3 with a peak of Immortal 1. When she's not locking down sites as a Cypher main, she’s fragging out with Reyna, Jett, or supporting with Skye. Her favorite maps include Haven, Ascent, and Fracture, where she loves using her go-to weapons like the Vandal, Marshal, Stinger, and Ghost. A big fan of stylish plays, Sarah rocks her favorite skins from the VCT 2021 bundle, Prime, and Nocturnum collections.