Valorant Champions Schedule: Opening Matches and 4 Intense Groups Revealed

Riot Games has officially revealed the opening matchups in the Valorant Champions schedule for Paris 2025, the biggest event of the competitive calendar. With sixteen of the best teams in the world battling for the title in Paris, the stage is now set for an exciting start to the tournament.

Valorant Champions 2025: Dates and Venue

The tournament will run from September 12 to October 5, 2025, hosted in Paris, France. The group stage and opening rounds of the playoffs of the tournament will be played at Arènes de Grand Paris Sud, while the finals weekend will be hosted at the Accor Arena. This year’s Champions will once again follow the proven structure of a group stage, with the top eight leading into a double-elimination playoff bracket.

With over three weeks of competition, the event will not only crown a new world champion but also mark the culmination of the 2025 Valorant competitive season.

Valorant Champions Schedule: Full Breakdown

The tournament calendar highlights when eliminations, qualifiers, and playoff rounds will take place:

• Sept 12–15: Opening matches (all groups)
• Sept 17–18: Upper finals – playoff qualifiers
• Sept 19–20: Elimination matches – first teams knocked out
• Sept 21–22: Lower finals (deciders) – final playoff slots confirmed
• Sept 25–26: Playoff Round 1
• Sept 27–29: Elimination and upper bracket matches continue
• Oct 3: Upper finals & lower semifinals
• Oct 4: Lower finals
• Oct 5: Grand final

The Groups

The sixteen teams have been divided into four GSL-style groups (A–D). Each group will see two teams advance to the playoffs and two teams eliminated. The draw ensured no two teams from the same region would be placed together.

• Group A: Paper Rex, Sentinels, GiantX, Xi Lai Gaming (XLG)
• Group B: Bilibili Gaming (BLG), MIBR, Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ), Fnatic
• Group C: Team Liquid, DRX, NRG, Edward Gaming (EDG)
• Group D: G2 Esports, Team Heretics, Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG), T1

When is VALORANT Champions 2025? – Opening Matches

The opening matches will kick off on September 12, with two matches played each day. All times are listed in CEST / KST / PDT as provided by Riot’s official schedule.

Friday, September 12

• Paper Rex vs XLG – 15:00 CEST // 22:00 KST // 06:00 AM PDT
• GX vs Sentinels – 18:00 CEST // 01:00 KST (Sept 13) // 09:00 AM PDT

Saturday, September 13

• NRG vs EDward Gaming – 15:00 CEST // 22:00 KST // 06:00 AM PDT
• Team Liquid vs DRX – 18:00 CEST // 01:00 KST (Sept 14) // 09:00 AM PDT

Sunday, September 14

• Bilibili Gaming vs MIBR – 15:00 CEST // 22:00 KST // 06:00 AM PDT
• RRQ vs Fnatic – 18:00 CEST // 01:00 KST (Sept 15) // 09:00 AM PDT

Monday, September 15

• G2 Esports vs Team Heretics – 15:00 CEST // 22:00 KST // 06:00 AM PDT
• Dragon Ranger Gaming vs T1 – 18:00 CEST // 01:00 KST (Sept 16) // 09:00 AM PDT

These matches set the tone for the group stage, with early eliminations and upper-bracket advantages on the line.

What’s Next

Following the opening games, group play will continue with winners’ matches and elimination matches, narrowing the field to eight playoff contenders. From there, the bracket will decide which team lifts the Champions 2025 trophy.

• Tuesday, September 16
  • Dark Day (no matches).
• Wednesday, September 17
  • Upper Finals – winners’ matches within the groups, to determine which teams qualify directly for playoffs.
• Thursday, September 18
  • Upper Finals – continuation of winners’ matches.
• Friday, September 19
  • Elimination Matches – the first two teams will be knocked out.
• Saturday, September 20
  • Elimination Matches – two more teams will be eliminated.
• Sunday, September 21
  • Lower Finals (Decider Matches) – the last playoff slots in each group are decided. Two more teams eliminated, eight advance.

Playoff Stage (September 22–October 5)

• Monday, September 22
  Lower Finals (Deciders) – continuation of group-stage lower finals.
• Tuesday, September 23
  Dark Day.
• Wednesday, September 24
  Dark Day.
• Thursday, September 25
  Playoff Stage Round 1 – upper and lower bracket matches begin.
• Friday, September 26
  Playoff Stage Round 1 continues.
• Saturday, September 27
  Elimination Matches – two teams knocked out.
• Sunday, September 28
  Upper Round 2 – teams fight for a spot in upper finals.
• Monday, September 29
  Elimination Matches – two more teams knocked out.
• Tuesday, September 30
  Dark Day.
• Wednesday, October 1
  Dark Day.
• Thursday, October 2
  Dark Day.
• Friday, October 3
  Upper Finals & Lower Semis – decide the first grand finalist and the last two teams in contention.
• Saturday, October 4
  Lower Finals – final spot in the grand final decided.
• Sunday, October 5
  Grand Final – the Valorant world champion of 2025 is crowned.

Group Storylines

Group A:

With Paper Rex and Sentinels in the same group, Group A guarantees fireworks. Both teams are heavy contenders for the title, but one could be forced into an early elimination match. GX and XLG enter as underdogs but have the chance to make headlines by upsetting one of the favorites.

Group B:

Fnatic and BLG headline this group, but RRQ and MIBR bring unpredictability and regional pride. Fnatic is the only team of the four to place in the top four of an event this year, but RRQ have been on a tear in Stage 2, as have Chinese Stage 2 Champions BLG.

Group C:

Every team in Group C has international pedigree — Team Liquid, DRX, NRG, and EDG. No matter how you slice it, a world-class roster will go home early. EDG have a chance to be the first time 2x Champions winners in VCT history.

Group D:

G2 Esports come in as Americas champions, while T1 enter with their Masters Bangkok trophy, one they had won by defeating G2. Their showdown could decide the group. Meanwhile, Talon and DRG look to crash the party with upsets that could tilt the balance of power.

With the groups drawn and the opening matches locked in, the countdown to Paris has begun. The world’s best are ready to battle, and only one will leave as the Valorant world champion.