Americas teams make up Final 4 at GCC Seoul after eliminating G2 and KC

Day seven of the VALORANT Game Changers Championship in Seoul produced some of the most dramatic elimination matches of the tournament so far, with G2 Gozen, MIBR GC, Karmine Corp GC, and KRÜ Blaze all fighting to stay alive in the lower bracket. By the end of a tense afternoon, both EMEA representatives were knocked out of the event, while two LATAM/BR squads moved one step closer to the grand final.

MIBR GC vs G2 Gozen – A High-Tension Series Ends in a Heartbreaking Exit for G2

The elimination match between MIBR GC and G2 Gozen began under a cloud of controversy. The previous evening, following a loss to Team Liquid, G2 controller player Amy made a post on X in reaction to the match, ending by saying that the team will ‘go again MIBR tomorrow’, followed by an orangutan emoji. The imagery was widely considered racist within the Brazilian community and received immense backlash, which continued after she quickly removed the post and issued a follow-up, stating she was unaware of the cultural context.

Following the conclusion of the series against MIBR, she has since posted again, this time apologising for the emoji use and reaffirming that she ‘did i know about the history and culture to brazillian people’, and that she had previously used the emoji amongst friends as a ‘chill emoji.’ The tension surrounding the matchup was impossible to ignore, giving the series an added emotional edge.

Bind – MIBR Clinch the Opener in Overtime

MIBR chose Bind to start the series and opened on attack with immediate confidence, winning the pistol and establishing a 4–1 lead. Their duelist duo of bstrdd and sRN surged early, consistently finding space and entries to push MIBR into an 8–4 halftime advantage. The Brazilian side extended their lead to 10–4 after picking up the second pistol as well.

However, once G2 moved to attack, their controller pairing of Vania and Amy on Brim and Viper respectively transformed the momentum of the map. Their consistent frags and late-round composure brought G2 back from the brink, round by round, until the European side reached map point at 12–10. MIBR refused to break, clawing back the final two rounds of regulation and carrying that energy into overtime, where they prevailed 14–12. Despite the loss, Vania posted the highest ACS on the server, reflecting how hard she worked to keep G2 alive.

Sunset – G2 Respond With Complete Control

The series moved next to Sunset, one of G2’s strongest maps of the year and a staple of their playbook. They began on defense and immediately looked far more comfortable, taking a 4–1 lead as Vania, Amy, and Petra shut down nearly every angle of MIBR’s approach. Their defensive reads were nearly flawless, and the half ended with a commanding 10–2 advantage.

Although MIBR claimed the second pistol, G2 stole the anti-eco with firm discipline, stripping away the Brazilians’ hopes of a comeback. The final round of the map ended with an ace from Vania, who finished the map with 26 kills, a +15 differential, and a staggering 391 ACS on Omen. G2 closed out the map 13–5 and sent the series to a decider.

Split – A Repeat of Yesterday’s Heartbreak for G2

Just as in their upper-bracket loss to Team Liquid, Split once again became the site of heartbreak for G2. They started with an excellent defensive half, winning the opening four rounds cleanly, surrendering one, and then reasserting their dominance to end the half up 10–2. It was one of G2’s strongest halves of the entire tournament.

MIBR won both pistol and anti-eco after the swap, but G2 answered with the bonus to reach 11–4. What followed was a near-perfect comeback attempt from MIBR. Round by round, supported by clutch plays and unshakeable confidence, they dragged the score back to 11–8. A critical Showstopper 3K from Akita gave G2 a thrifty win and put them at match point, but MIBR still refused to fade into the night. They won the next rounds through sheer resilience, even clutching a 2v4 at one point to force overtime.

Once extra rounds began, MIBR were the team in control. The Brazilian squad closed out the map 14–12 and completed one of the most dramatic comebacks of the tournament. Bstrdd delivered a star performance with 29 kills on Split, securing multikill rounds throughout the comeback. This sets a new comeback record in GC history as well.

Across the full series, Vania was G2’s standout player with 68 kills and a 287 ACS from controller, but the day belonged to bstrdd, who finished the match with an ACS of 267, 11 first kills, and a +17 kill differential. With this loss, G2 Gozen exited the Championship in 5th–6th place, once again at the hands of MIBR similar to last year.

Karmine Corp GC vs KRÜ Blaze – LATAM Sweep Cements Top Four for them

The day’s second elimination match pitted Karmine Corp against KRÜ Blaze, both coming off decisive victories the previous day. KRÜ have qualified for every Game Changers Championship to date, and they once again showed they were unwilling to exit early, delivering a dominant performance to eliminate the last remaining EMEA team.

Split – KRÜ’s Defense Sets the Tone

KRÜ opened with Split, opting for a Sage–Viper–Raze–Omen–Skye composition that gave them great map control. KC answered with Tejo and Waylay substitutes for Sage and Raze, but the LATAM representatives looked far sharper from the outset. KC won the opening pistol, but KRÜ immediately took the anti-eco and rode the momentum to a 4–1 lead.

KC recovered briefly, taking four of the next five rounds, but KRÜ finished the half ahead 7–5. After the sideswap, KRÜ’s defensive setups were suffocating. They won round after round en route to a 10–5 advantage, and although KC picked up one more, KRÜ closed out the map 13–6. Dods, Conir, and rookie mmonch all surpassed 230 ACS, while KC’s best performer was Jiex with 240 ACS on Omen.

Haven – KRÜ Deliver a Dominant Victory

Karmine Corp chose Haven, a map they had used just the day prior to defeat global champions SRG. But KRÜ immediately dismantled any expectations of a KC bounceback. Starting on defense, they claimed the pistol and the next five rounds, showing impeccable layering between their Waylay aggression and their Killjoy–Viper site anchors.

KC found only two rounds in the half—one of which came from an explosive Neon ultimate from Alkyia—but KRÜ still entered halftime with a 9–3 lead. Without a pistol win to begin the second half, there was no window for KC to recover, and KRÜ stormed through the remaining rounds to take the map 13–3 and the series 2–0.

Conir provided veteran stability, while Dods emerged as the frag leader for KRÜ, ending the series with 34 kills, five opening picks, and 249 ACS. This is the LATAM team’s best placement at a GCC yet, after failing to break the 5th–6th barrier for years.

After the match, KC’s in-game leader Jiex spoke candidly about the need for greater support within the Game Changers ecosystem. She emphasized that despite the high level of skill and strategic depth displayed on stage, organizations still hesitate to invest due to lower prize pools and inconsistent viewership. “Every day, we showcase our talent and gameplay. We deserve the same respect as the men’s scene,” she said. “I want to compete more than anything, so I ask Riot to invest in the inclusive scene—we’ll make this investment worth it.”

What’s Next at tthe Game Changers Championship

With today’s results, the final two EMEA teams, G2 Gozen and Karmine Corp, have officially been eliminated, and the top four now consists entirely of Americas-region squads. Tomorrow will determine the first grand finalist as Team Liquid Brazil face Shopify Rebellion Gold in the upper-bracket final. In the lower bracket, KRÜ Blaze and MIBR GC will compete for the right to play in Saturday’s lower final and keep their championship dreams alive.