The crowning event of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is beckoning. Also known as Champions Paris, VALORANT Champions 2025 is the culmination of a year’s work for the top teams. To lift the coveted trophy and claim the lion’s share of a massive prize pool is a dream for any pro player, and in early October, the dream will become a reality for one squad.
Join us in the hype for the VALORANT Champions 2025, as we share our expert betting predictions and all the essential info, including format, schedule, prize pool distribution, teams competing, and where fans can watch.
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VALORANT Champions 2025 Schedule & Format
Running from Sept. 12 to Oct. 5, VALORANT Champions 2025 takes place on LAN in Paris, France, through two distinct stages of competition. All 16 teams will start their journey in the Group Stage (Sept. 12-22), featuring four double-elimination format (GSL-style) groups of four teams each. All matches in the Group Stage are best-of-three, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Playoffs Stage.
In the Playoffs Stage (Sept. 25 to Oct. 5), the top eight teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket format. The Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final matches are best-of-five, while all other matches are best-of-three.
The Lower Bracket Semifinal, Upper Bracket Final, Lower Bracket Final, and Grand Final will take place at the incredible Accor Arena (Oct. 3-5). All other games, including the Group Stage, as well as the rest of the Playoffs Stage matches, will take place at the Les Arènes.
You can find the complete schedule on the official VALORANT Champions 2025 page and at our VALORANT betting section, featuring all the match start times/dates in your local timezone.
Prize Pool Distribution
Apart from the glory of becoming world champions, there’s also a massive $2,250,000 prize pool to compete for. Check out the prize pool distribution below.
| Place | Prize Money |
| 1st | $1,000,000 |
| 2nd | $400,000 |
| 3rd | $250,000 |
| 4th | $130,000 |
| 5th/6th | $85,000 |
| 7th/8th | $50,000 |
| 9th-12th | $30,000 |
| 13th-16th | $20,000 |
| Total | $2,250,000 |
How To Watch VALORANT Champions 2025
You can relish in an incredible VALORANT Champions 2025 viewing experience while taking advantage of world-class betting opportunities right here at Thunderpick. Visit our VALORANT betting section to check out all available options.
Take the excitement to the next level by heading to the “Live” tab when the tournament is underway and selecting a match. You’ll see an official live stream and our bet slip, so you can watch the action while placing in-play wagers.
You can also watch all the matches directly via the official VALORANT YouTube and Twitch channels.
Teams Competing In VALORANT Champions 2025
All 16 teams competing in the VALORANT Champions 2025 have fought tooth and nail to punch their tickets to Paris. They include the top two teams from each region, based on VCT points accumulated throughout the year, and the two teams that advanced to the Grand Finals of their regional Stage 2 events.
With the Group Stage draw show now complete, we know the precise opening matchups for all four groups. For good measure, we’ve also included the seedings per region.
Group A Teams & Opening Matches:
- Paper Rex (#1 Pacific) vs. Xi Lai Gaming (#4 China)
- GIANTX (#2 EMEA) vs. Sentinels (#3 Americas)
Group B Teams & Opening Matches:
- Bilibili Gaming (#1 China) vs. MIBR (#4 Americas)
- Rex Regum Qeon (#2 Pacific) vs. Fnatic (#3 Americas)
Group C Teams & Opening Matches:
- Team Liquid (#1 EMEA) vs. DRX (#4 Pacific)
- NRG (#2 Americas) vs. EDward Gaming (#3 China)
Group D Teams & Opening Matches:
- G2 Esports (#1 Americas) vs. Team Heretics (#4 EMEA)
- Dragon Ranger Gaming (#2 China) vs. T1 (#3 Pacific)
With Team Heretics’ lower-than-expected seeding at VCT EMEA Stage 2, many consider Group D as the “Group of Death.”
Our Predictions For VALORANT Champions 2025
To make our VALORANT Champions 2025 betting predictions, we didn’t channel our inner KAY/O (a time-traveling Cybernetic Agent) to peer into the future. Instead, we conducted thorough research, examining matchup histories, performances at international events throughout the year, current team/player form, and Stage 2 results.
Important: These predictions reflect the perceived strength of teams based on historical trends and the latest available odds. This analysis should not be interpreted as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Always gamble responsibly.
Paper Rex
Indonesian superstar and in-game leader (IGL) of the Paper Rex lineup, f0rsakeN is widely considered one of the best players to ever grace the VALORANT servers. He is also the best player to have never become a world champion…yet! It’s a frightening sight for any VALORANT team joining the server when f0rsakeN is on form, and judging by recent results, his whole team is. Funny enough thanks to the poor performances of the French teams in EMEA, coach alecks is the sole representative of the tricolour flag.
On June 22, Paper Rex easily smashed the favorites, Fnatic, with a 3-1 score to win Masters Toronto. The squad looked fantastic at the Esports World Cup (EWC) as well, before losing to Gen.G Esports for a 4th-place finish. Paper Rex bounced back at the VCT Pacific Stage 2 Playoffs, losing zero maps on their way to the Grand Final, where they demolished Rex Regum Qeon 3-1. If that isn’t a showcase of power, we don’t know what is.
Paper Rex roster:
- Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee
- Ilia “something” Petrov
- Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie
- Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza
- Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto (IGL)
- Alexandre “alecks” Sallé (Coach)
Team Heretics
At the EWC, Team Heretics broke their 2nd-place curse, reverse-sweeping Fnatic in a dramatic best-of-five Grand Final for a final score of 3-2. It was a sight to behold, as Lithuanian brothers MiniBoo and Boo lifted the trophy in Riyadh. Despite an early exit (5th-6th place) at VCT EMEA Stage 2, Team Heretics remains one of the favorites heading into VALORANT Champions 2025.
The squad is looking for redemption after losing 3-2 in the Grand Final of VALORANT Champions 2024 against EDward Gaming. If Turkish star Mert “Wo0t” Alkan can serve up the same level of performance he delivered to become the MVP of the EWC, we predict that Team Heretics will become the first team in history to reach two VALORANT Champions Grand Finals.
Team Heretics roster:
- Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish
- Enes “RieNs” Ecirli
- Mert “Wo0t” Alkan
- Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius
- Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius (IGL)
- Neil “neilzinho” Finlay (Coach)
Fnatic
As one of the top teams of the highly contested EMEA region, Fnatic has a strong claim to the throne. The squad, led by British legend Boaster since February 2021, has seen tremendous success throughout the years. This year alone, Fnatic won the VCT EMEA Stage 1, defeating rivals Team Heretics in the Grand Final with a 3-0 show of force, and managed to make it to the Grand Final of Masters Toronto and the EWC.
If the squad can shake off their recent 2nd-place finishes at big international events, there’s no reason to doubt Fnatic’s chance of a podium finish at VALORANT Champions 2025.
Fnatic roster:
- Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov
- Emir “Alfajer” Beder
- Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski
- Austin “crashies” Roberts
- Jake “Boaster” Howlett (IGL)
- Milan “Milan” de Meij (Coach)
EDward Gaming
EDward Gaming is looking to become the first two-time world champion, which would also make them, the first to defend their title in VALORANT esports history. While they aren’t the favorites, there’s no denying that EDward Gaming has what it takes to lift the coveted trophy.
If their star Duelist, ZmjjKK (lovingly known as KangKang by fans) clicks heads like he did last year to become the VALORANT Champions 2024 MVP, and the tactics are on point, few squads can stand up to the might of these Chinese juggernauts.
EDward Gaming roster:
- Wan “CHICHOO” Shunzhi
- Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang
- Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao
- Zhang “Jieni7” Juntai
- Wang “nobody” Senxu (IGL)
- Tang “Muggle” Shijun (Coach)
Who Will Become The VALORANT Champions?
Will EDward Gaming become the first team in history to lift back-to-back VALORANT Champions trophies? Could we see another EMEA final between Fnatic and Team Heretics? To say there are tons of amazing stories in the making feels like an understatement. This is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Champions events in the history of the game.
Join us in the hype by checking out our state-of-the-art VALORANT betting section, where you can put your esports knowledge to the test.
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