Final four prepare for climactic weekend at VCT EMEA: Stage 2 Playoffs

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 29/08/2025

GIANTX, Liquid, BBL Esports, and Natus Vincere (NaVi) will face off in a climactic showdown at VCT EMEA: Stage 2 Playoffs, which will decide not only where the EMEA Stage 2 trophy will end up, but who will attend VCT Champions in Paris.

Liquid, favourites for the title with esports betting sites, will play BBL Esports in the Upper Bracket Final, before GIANTX take on NaVi in the Lower Bracket Semis.

VCT EMEA Stage 2 Playoff picture

While Liquid are undoubted favourites for the crown, BBL Esports, featuring former ENCE CSGO player Elias ‘Jamppi’ Olkkonen, have consistently surprised pundits this year, notably defeating Liquid 3-1 to qualify for the Esports World Cup.

Liquid are the last remaining favourite for the title, following the early exits of Stage 1 Champions, Fnatic. Vitality and Karmine Corp also fell early, but while their brands remain strong in Valorant, they both had middling splits, finishing 2-3 and 3-2, respectively, in their groups.

Fnatic were shockingly eliminated 2-0 by GIANTX in the Lower Bracket Quarter-finals, but Britain’s Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett and his boys were already assured of a place in Paris through EMEA points.

Liquid are also assured of a place in Paris regardless of the weekend’s results, however, it is all to play for for the other remaining Split 2 teams, with 2 spots still to be claimed between Heretics, BBL, NaVi and GIANTX.

Can NaVi continue to surprise?

After a strong start in Valorant, which saw NaVi competing for the top prizes during Valorant’s initial esports surge, NaVi have since regressed to being a bit-part player in the scene. The team have often been good enough to make playoffs, but have rarely done damage within them.

Yet there is a distinctly different air around NaVi in the Stage 2 playoffs. It is unclear whether it is simply fire to make the Paris Champs or stronger synergy within the roster, but their 2-0 victories over Vitality and EWC 2025 champions, Heretics, have given them all the feeling of a dark horse for the event.

NaVi seem to be gaining strength with each official following the addition of Alex ‘alexiiik’ Hawlasek, with the youngster under the storied leadership of IGL Kyrylo ‘ANGE1’ Karasov, who has a history of talent development in CSGO and Valorant, having been one of Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev’s first IGLs.

In an interview with Sheep Esports, ANGE1 said, “I’m very proud of Alex. He’s progressing much faster than I expected when moving into Tier 1.”

The roster must make the Grand Final to make Valorant Champions, but must do so by moving past a GIANTX roster they have already lost to in playoffs after a 2-1 defeat in the upper bracket quarters.

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.

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