Valorant Champions 2025 edged into knockout territory today as Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ) and G2 Esports both emerged victorious in their elimination matches to keep their playoff hopes alive. BLG and Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) were eliminated after series losses, despite some promising moments. Unfortunately for DRG, this means they have to play in this year’s Ascension tournament again and must win it to keep their spot in VCT China, a result of XLG winning their game against SEN to secure higher placement at Champions Paris.
RRQ Battles BLG to Win 2-1
The match between Rex Regum Qeon and Bilibili Gaming was a dramatic Bo3, where BLG claimed the first map but couldn’t close the series. The vetoes went: RRQ banned Bind, BLG banned Corrode; RRQ picked Sunset; BLG picked Lotus; RRQ banned Ascent; BLG banned Haven, leaving Abyss as the decider.
Sunset: BLG win 13-7
BLG came out strong on Sunset, dominating RRQ on their pick. The score was 6-6 at halftime, but then BLG widened the gap with strong closeouts in post-plant situations. RRQ tried to mount a counter-push but BLG’s defense and early entries kept them from doing so. BLG only dropped one round on defense, pulling off an almost flawless half to close out the map. The final score was 13-7 in favor of BLG, giving them early series momentum.
BLG’s Levius stood out in Map 1. He posted an impressive ACS of 346, had 26 frags, and came in clutch in rounds where RRQ threatened to steal momentum. He had six first kills too, meaning he was often involved in those opening or lurk kills that set the pace for BLG.
Lotus: RRQ win 13-8
RRQ responded on Lotus, the map picked by BLG. The early half saw BLG attempting to continue their momentum from the prior map, but RRQ managed to squeak ahead by winning pivotal rounds mid-game, which saw them find a slight lead at 7-5. Post-half, BLG won three rounds in a row, putting them ahead. But at 8-7, RRQ stole the lead back with a dominant six-round win streak on their attacking side.
RRQ’s standout on Lotus was monyet. He had 21 frags, with an ACS of 284, showing up in both attack and defense rounds.
Abyss: RRQ win 13-4
In the decider, RRQ’s momentum carried through to make short work of BLG on Abyss. The match was more one-sided: RRQ took control early, building a strong lead before halftime at 8-4, and held BLG at bay in the second half with a sturdy defense where they didn’t drop a single round to win 13-4.
Jemkin on Jett turned in the best performance here, with an ACS of 424, +16 kill differential, and an 8-0 first kills vs deaths record. His entries and several multi-frags allowed RRQ to dominate rounds where BLG tried to gain momentum.
Monyet and Jemkin were both incredible players for RRQ and were key factors in their win. They had a combined total of 97 kills, 17 first kills, and a combined kill differential of +24. While Jemkin shone in the decider, Monyet’s consistency on Lotus and decisive impact in Map 2 secured several rounds that were 50-50.
G2 Shuts Down DRG in a Clean 2-0 Sweep
G2 Esports faced Dragon Ranger Gaming and delivered a confident 2-0 win, sending DRG home. The map vetoes saw DRG ban Bind; G2 ban Corrode; DRG pick Lotus; G2 pick Abyss; DRG ban Haven; G2 ban Sunset; leaving Ascent as the remaining possible map, though not needed.
Lotus: G2 win 13-7
G2 picked Lotus first and ran with it. The first half was competitive; DRG found an early lead before G2 found a way to counter their retake-heavy gameplay and ended the half 6-6. After the switch, G2 expanded the lead with an ironclad defense, only losing their bonus round versus a full buy to win the map 13-7.
Leaf was the standout on G2 on Lotus. Playing Viper, he posted an ACS of 305, with an ADR of 193 and a kill differential of +11, showing strong lurks and clutch plays on defense. His constant pressure across the map allowed G2 to dictate engagements.
Abyss: G2 win 13-7
DRG picked Abyss, but G2 were the ones to run off to a 6-2 lead on defense before DRG recovered to tie the score up at halftime, once again at 6-6. After the side-swap, G2’s superior utility and trade kills in their attack rounds after mid-game helped them pull away. The final was 13-7 once more in favor of G2, which sealed their 2-0 sweep and eliminated DRG from Champions.
Jawgemo delivered in Map 2, putting up an ACS of 317, with 80% KAST, and clutch multi-kills. He takes the overall MVP of the series too. He had an ACS of 278 and 9 first kills across both maps, but the rest of G2 were no slouches either.
Unfortunately for DRG, this means they have dropped down to Ascension and need to win it again to return to VCT China since XLG will have a higher placement at Champions Paris thanks to their win over Sentinels.
The Final VALORANT Champions Playoffs Slots
With these results, both BLG and DRG are now eliminated from Champions 2025. Coming up are four qualification matches, where only the winners make playoffs and the losers will be sent home.
Team Liquid vs DRX and Xi Lai Gaming vs GiantX will be today’s games, and tomorrow we’ll see a rematch of Masters Bangkok’s finals as T1 face off against G2, followed by MIBR vs RRQ. The margin for error is razor-thin now — player form, map veto strength, and clutch round performance will be the deciding factors for which four teams join the playoff bracket at Champions Paris 2025.
