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VCT 2025 Stage 2: Top Teams to Watch Out For

It's do-or-die for teams as Valorant Champions Paris is just around the corner.

Top VALORANT Teams to Watch in VCT Stage 2 2025 – Paper Rex, Fnatic, G2, Gen.G & LOUD
Credit: Riot Games

Valorant Masters Toronto concluded with Paper Rex finally being crowned as international champions, after falling short in previous competitions, including the Valorant Champions 2023, Valorant Masters Madrid, Valorant Masters Tokyo, and Valorant Masters Copenhagen. It was about time they would finally lift a trophy in front of an international crowd.

Following Paper Rex's thrilling 3-1 victory against Fnatic, the initial stage of the VCT 2025 came to an end. While it's now time to follow the action in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where 16 of Valorant's best teams will compete in the Esports World Cup between July 8 and July 13, we can't ignore what's coming in the second stage.

With Stage 2 having already started in China, and with Americas, EMEA, and Pacific all kicking off their respective action within ten days, it's the perfect time to start diving into the second split. If you haven't had the chance to follow Stage 1 and you want to know more about the upcoming stage, here are five teams fans should watch out for.

Paper Rex

Paper Rex winning VCT Masters Toronto

The very first name in this list might be the most predictable one. As we said earlier, Paper Rex finally lifted their first international trophy at Valorant Masters Toronto after years of near misses. This automatically makes the Pacific roster a fan-favorite to win not just in their home region but also the Valorant Champions 2025.

Paper Rex is mainly known for their hyper-aggressive and unpredictable style. Although the Southeast Asian squad has been one of the community's most beloved teams, it's fair to say their previous lack of international success had made them become a walking meme — fans would expect them to fall apart at some point. However, Toronto has completely changed this picture.

Paper Rex stands out because of their fearless approach to the game as they challenge conventional playstyles, often catching teams off guard with bold flanks and double-entry setups. Toronto wasn't the first time Paper Rex pushed for an aggressive playstyle, but they just needed to fill some gaps to make that final step, which they did on Canadian soil.

On top of that, the Pacific region is the most contested in the scene nowadays, with the last three Valorant Masters champions being all from there — including Gen.G Esports, T1, and, of course, Paper Rex.

Paper Rex is going to participate in VCT 2025 Pacific Stage 2 with the following roster:

  • Ahmad Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee bin Nordin
  • Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto
  • Alessandro Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart
  • Ilia "something" Petrov
  • Wang Jing "Jinggg" Jie
  • Patrick "PatMen" Mendoza

Fnatic

Fnatic VALORANT Team at VCT Event

We have added Fnatic, the winner of Valorant Masters Tokyo and VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo, to this list. Unfortunately, an early defeat in the Valorant Masters Toronto seriously damaged the team's chances to win the competition, as they quickly fell into the Lower Bracket. However, they showed their strength with victories against Rex Regum Qeon, Sentinels, G2 Esports, and the tournament's Cinderella, Wolves Esports, before falling against Paper Rex in the grand final.

Even more impressive is the fact that three of the top five fraggers at the event were from Fnatic— Alfajer, Kajaak, and Chronicle. Each of them brought incredible firepower to the table.

You should know that their mechanical skills have never been an issue, and neither have these ever been questioned. But what might haunt them is the inability to adapt mid-series when it matters most. No matter which roster and which event, this persistent issue has become part of Fnatic itself. Still, writing Fnatic off would be a mistake.

As Fnatic is heading to the VCT 2025 EMEA Stage 2, things won't go down quietly this time. Although Team Heretics haven't looked consistent in recent weeks, they are still a hard nut to crack. Additionally, rosters like Team Liquid, Team Vitality, BBL Esports, FUT Esports, Karmine Corp, and Natus Vincere must be mentioned too.

Fnatic is going to participate in the VCT EMEA Stage 2 with the following roster:

  • Jake "Boaster" Howlett
  • Emir Ali "Alfajer" Beder
  • Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov
  • Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski
  • Austin "crashies" Roberts

LOUD

LOUD VALORANT Team at VCT Americas Stage

If you have followed Valorant's esports scene for a while now, you will probably know how strong LOUD looked just a couple of years ago, especially in 2022. However, the Brazilian powerhouse is currently going through its roughest phase. After losing to Sentinels at VCT Americas 2024 Stage 1, LOUD hit a major low, six back-to-back losses, the longest losing streak in the team's history.

This is sad because their legacy speaks for itself. They were winners at Valorant Champions 2022, second at Valorant Masters Reykjavík, and also finished Top 3 at Champions 2023. However, from 2024 onwards, things haven’t gone their way. While they started well in 2024 with a decent fourth-place finish at Valorant Masters Madrid, some visa issues prevented them from playing as expected in last year's final stage. Since then, they’ve struggled to keep up with top teams like Leviatán, G2 Esports, and MIBR.

Following the conclusion of Stage 2, LOUD made big changes in the hope of making a comeback. They signed Kaan “Leader” Taşpınar as their new head coach, known for his success in Game Changers with G2 Gozen, and added Robby "RobbieBk" Boerkamp and Leandro "Virtyy" Moreno to the lineup. They also parted ways with Douglas "dgzin" Silva and Arthur "tuyz" Vieira.

It’s clear LOUD is entering a rebuilding phase, but with the Brazilian community expecting a comeback, the pressure is real.

LOUD is going to participate in VCT Americas Stage 2 with the following roster:

  • Cauan "cauanzin" Pereira
  • Bryan Vinicius "pANcada" Luna da Silva
  • Lucca "lukxo" Travaioli
  • Robbie "RobbieBk" Boerkamp
  • Leandro "Virtyy" Moren

Gen.G Esports

GenG after winning VCT Masters Shanghai

After finishing in second place at Valorant Masters Madrid and becoming the first Asian team to win a Valorant Masters championship, it was natural that expectations were sky-high for Gen.G Esports going into Toronto.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. They were eliminated earlier than expected, and we noticed something that can't be ignored: GenG shines when riding momentum, but once they stumble, it's hard for them to recover mid-event.

No doubt, Gen.G remains one of the most mechanically talented and well-coached teams in the Pacific region. Players like Kim "t3xture" Na-ra continue to deliver under pressure, and while others had a tough time in Toronto, the overall team chemistry and structure are still solid. Yes, emotional resilience has been a concern, but that's something many young rosters grow through.

Stage 2 offers the perfect opportunity for a reset. With time to reflect and review their mistakes, Gen.G Esports has time to bounce back.

Gen.G is going to participate in VCT Pacific Stage 2 with the following roster:

  • Kim "t3xture" Na-ra
  • Kim "Karon" Won-tae
  • Byeon "Munchkin" Sang-beom
  • Jung "Foxy9" Jae-sung
  • Ha "Ash" Hyun-cheol
  • Seo "Suggest" Jae-young

G2 Esports

G2 Esports after winning VCT Americas

After winning VCT Americas Stage 1 this year and finishing as runners-up at Valorant Masters Bangkok, they’ve solidified themselves as one of the top teams not just in North America but globally. Their performance in Toronto may not have ended with a trophy, but it further proved they're a serious threat in every international event.

The core of G2 Esports, which includes Trent "trent" Cairns, Jonah "JonahP" Pulice, and Jacob "valyn" Batio, has been together since the Guard days, and they've always been known for their coordination and discipline. Initially, the team was missing explosiveness in their playstyle, but, thanks to the addition of the Valorant Champions 2023 winner Alexander "jawgemo" Mor, the team ticked this checklist as well, and the improvement is clearly visible now.

One major strategic shift after jawgemo joined was how the team blended a high percentage strategy with a little bit of chaos. Let's see if they manage to pull this time around with the same strategy or not, as the stakes are higher than the last time.

G2 Esports is going to participate in VCT Americas Stage 2 with the following roster:

  • Jonah "JonahP" Pulice
  • Trent "trent" Cairns
  • Jacob "valyn" Batio
  • Nathan "leaf" Orf
  • Alexander "jawgemo" Mor

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