Women’s Valorant team G2 Gozen have crashed out of the Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Game Changers Stage 2 Playoffs.
It is the first time that the team has lost two consecutive VCT Game Changers Stages.
VCT EMEA Group Stage vs Playoffs
G2 Gozen’s disappointing Playoffs performance is particularly shocking given their impressive unbeaten record in the VCT EMEA Group Stage. Before the Playoffs began, the team had won nine games in a row, dropping only three maps across the series.
The G2 Gozen Playoffs run had very few highlights for the team.
They began the Playoffs in the Upper Bracket Semifinals, where they lost to Karmine Corp. Despite having beaten Karmine Corp with ease in the Group Stage, they lost the match 0-2.
Pushed down to the Lower Bracket Semi-Final, G2 Gozen next had to face SK Nebula. Although they were able to win one of the three maps played, SK Nebula defeated the team 2-1.
This loss eliminated them from Stage 2 of VCT Game Changers EMEA. It also set a record as the first time in the team’s history that they have lost two consecutive Game Changers EMEA Stages.
G2 Gozen reacts to crushing loss
Understandably, the roster was devastated to be leaving the competition before the Finals.
G2 Gozen’s manager, Thibault ‘Tibalt’ Pulcini, described the loss as a “terribly disappointing way to end the split.” However, he did not suggest any changes to the roster, instead declaring that it is “time to reset and prepare for the final push of the year.”
Gozen’s players were more emotional about their early exit, with most only making short posts apologising for their Playoffs performance.
The G2 Gozen Playoffs run didn’t even feature a showdown against GIANTX, whom they have jokingly referred to in the past as their “nemesis” after several head-to-head showdowns. If they had won against SK Nebula, they would have been competing against each other for a spot in the finals.
GIANTX is currently in the Lower Bracket Final, hoping to beat SK Nebula to advance to the Grand Final against Karmine Corp.
Where do G2 Gozen go from here?
Now that they have left the Stage 2 competition, G2 Gozen will need to look to Stage 3 to regain control of the European region.
Stage 3 typically takes place in September and October, preceding the Valorant Game Changers Championship. It is one of the final opportunities for teams to accumulate Circuit Points, which contribute to their Championship qualification.
Until then, the team will need to determine what went wrong in the Stage 2 Playoffs and why their performance could not match their Group Stage domination.
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
