5 Best Players at VALORANT Champions Paris 2025

Every Valorant Champions event creates its legends. The biggest stage of the year has a way of elevating players from stars to icons, whether through a clutch moment that turns a map or a dominant performance that defines a tournament. Heading into Champions Paris 2025, the field is stacked with talent from all four regions — Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific — but a few names stand out above the rest.

Using mainly VCT Stage 2 2025 performances, looking at key stats like ACS, and First Kills per Round, alongside international event data from this year, MVP awards, and trophy wins, here are five of the best players to watch at Champions Paris — followed by three more who also deserve a mention, at the very least.

5) Alfajer — Fnatic (VCT EMEA)

Fnatic’s consistency has often hinged on Emir “Alfajer” Beder, who was a standout at Masters Toronto, delivering crucial clutches and high-pressure holds against elite opposition. His steady 1.10+ Rating and late-round prowess make him one of the most reliable anchors in the tournament.

Adding to Fnatic’s firepower is kaajak, who finished Stage 2 with ACS in the 230s and one of the best FKPR figures in EMEA. With Alfajer’s composure and kaajak’s aggression, Fnatic have the tools to surprise favorites in Paris.

4) whzy — Bilibili Gaming (VCT China)

Wang “whz” Haozhe is the sharp edge of BLG’s attack. During Stage 2 in China, he put up 1.31 K/D, and an excellent 260+ ACS. He was the spearhead of BLG’s attack and was responsible for finding crucial openings and ensuring BLG won the VCT China trophy in such a dominant fashion.

BLG rely on him to generate impact fragging early in rounds, and his ability to thrive in those moments makes him one of China’s best hopes for a deep run in Paris.

3) zekken — Sentinels (VCT Americas)

Sentinels’ Zachary “zekken” Patrone continues to impress as one of the Americas’ premier fraggers across multiple duelists and maps. While Sentinels didn’t win a regional trophy at all this year, zekken has put up incredible stats both regionally and domestically.

His Stage 2 performance included a 1.2+ K/D, and one of the most consistent First Kill outputs in the region. His reliability in high-pressure moments has been crucial to Sentinels’ domestic dominance, and Champions Paris offers him the chance to translate that form onto the global stage.

2) nAts — Team Liquid (VCT EMEA)

Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin has been one of EMEA’s standout performers, posting an ACS of 231 and KAST 0f 77% in Stage 2 while also steering Team Liquid as their in-game leader. His blend of tactical leadership and mechanical consistency makes him invaluable in big matches. He also brings his trademark calm fragging style, enabling his team to pick up the Stage 2 trophy with not just team play, but his individual heroics.

Alongside him, keiko deserves recognition for his 233 ACS across the Stage and 0.11 FKPR. With nAts setting the strategy and keiko bringing raw firepower, Liquid have one of the most balanced rosters in Paris.

1) something — Paper Rex (VCT Pacific)

Paper Rex arrive in Paris as Masters Toronto champions, a trophy powered by the sheer firepower of their frontline. While f0rsakeN claimed the grand finals MVP in Toronto thanks to not just his stats but also IGLing — and deserves a mention on this list too for multiple reasons, but we’ll just mention him here as a title contender — Ilia “something” Petrov was consistently PRX’s most impactful player throughout Stage 2, not just in terms of stats, which we’ll look at in detail below, but also in terms of impact.

His consistent pressure with the Operator as well as his usage of the versatile Yoru util kit, combined with Paper Rex’s signature firepower and chaos, meant the team only lost a grand total of three maps during all of Stage 2.

He ended Stage 2 with a monstrous 1.38 K/D, nearly 239 ACS, and an aggressive 0.18 first kills/round. Those numbers, combined with his fearless entry style, make him one of the most dangerous duelists at Champions and the most in-form player coming into the tournament.

VALORANT Champions Best Players – Special Mentions

Jinggg — Paper Rex (VCT Pacific)

Jinggg remains a terror in PRX’s playbook, complementing something with raw aggression. In Stage 2 Pacific 2025, he averaged 230+ ACS with a 0.15 FKPR, numbers that reinforce PRX’s reputation as the most fearsome entry squad in Valorant. His synergy with PRX’s something and f0rsakeN, and how these three form a stable entry/duelist core, makes him a critical factor for the team.

ZmjjKK — EDward Gaming (VCT China)

China’s poster star, ZmjjKK, continues to shine. At Champions 2024, he posted over 240 ACS and carried EDG into international playoffs with a mix of Jett and Chamber brilliance. In China Stage 2 2025, he maintained similar numbers with a 0.16 FKPR, showing he remains EDG’s win condition. If EDG surges in Paris, it will almost certainly be on his back.

Hyunmin — DRX (VCT Pacific)

Hyunmin has been one of the most consistent performers for DRX throughout the Pacific season. In Stage 2 Pacific 2025, he averaged 242+ ACS with a FKPR of 0.17, providing crucial openings for the rest of DRX to capitalize on. His versatility across roles and ability to deliver in mid-round scenarios make him a backbone for DRX, and he could quietly be a difference-maker in Paris.

jawgemo — G2 Esports (VCT Americas)

Playing with G2 Esports, jawgemo has been one of the Americas’ most dynamic duelist players. In Stage 2, he delivered a 225+ ACS performance with one of the highest FKPR values in the league. His ability to dominate maps in terms of space and entries enables his team to break open the toughest defenses and mount a strong attack, especially in a G2 lineup already stacked with firepower.

Valorant Champions Paris 2025 will be defined by its stars. From something’s explosive entries to nAts’ tactical brilliance, zekken’s reliability, whzy’s raw firepower, and Alfajer’s consistency across maps and events, the top five represent the peak of each region’s talent.

It’s not just them though. With this being one of the most stacked Champions yet, there are plenty of players waiting in the wings, ready to steal the spotlight if given the chance. When the dust settles, one of these names may well define the tournament and cement their place among the game’s legends.