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Every region is bringing its best, but a few need to be on people’s radars.
VALORANT Champions 2025 is fast approaching, and with all 16 teams locked and loaded in Paris, it’s time to take a closer look at some standouts.
Every team’s got their own story heading into Champions, but we’ve narrowed this list down to one per region. And just because every region’s champion is godlike in their own right, that doesn’t mean that the others aren’t worth paying attention to.
Paper Rex – VCT Pacific
Of course, I say that, and at the top of my list are the VCT Pacific and Masters Toronto champions. Biases aside, Paper Rex are really entering VALORANT Champions 2025 with a lot of momentum. Everyone’s always known that Paper Rex is a strong team, but this might be the first time they’re coming in as favorites.
That being said, nothing’s ever guaranteed in the world of VALORANT. Paper Rex were painfully close to winning a Champions trophy for the Pacific back in 2023, and the competition’s only gotten fiercer since then. We’ll see if the W Gaming train can finally reach its world champions destination.
Sentinels – VCT Americas
Sentinels have a lot to prove in VALORANT Champions 2025. They’ve always aimed to be the best team in the Americas, but have been stuck in the middle of the pack for quite some time. This year, it’s finally started coming together for the team, but a championship remains elusive.
They’ve fallen short of winning all three of their VCT Americas tournaments. Their international performances in Masters Bangkok and Toronto have looked worse in comparison. But despite all that, they’re still one of the best teams in the Americas. Now they need to prove that they’re good enough to be the best team in the world.
EDward Gaming – VCT China
Speaking of the best team in the world, EDward Gaming are entering VALORANT Champions 2025 with a bit of uncertainty around them. Defending world champions, they may be, but it’s become clear that they’re no longer the undisputed best team in China. The competition has elevated quickly in the region, and EDG’s fourth and third-place finish in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of VCT China is proof of that.
Now the question is if EDG has what it takes to match the teams that have outpaced them. EDG aren’t going to give up their world champion title without a fight, but they’re going to need to lock in hard if they want to defend it.
Team Heretics – VCT EMEA
Team Heretics have always been the perfect example of “almost but not quite.” They’re constantly at the cusp of winning a trophy, with numerous VCT EMEA second-place finishes and a couple of international ones as well. They’ve finally done it after taking the Esports World Cup, but now they have to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
They finished Champions in second place last year after an epic grand finals against EDG. Now they’re entering VALORANT Champions 2025 with the same exact roster in the hopes of showing that they’ve ironed out their mistakes from last year.
Banner photo from VALORANT Champions Tours.