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The VALORANT Champions 2025 lower bracket delivered an all-EMEA clash as Team Heretics and GIANTX went head-to-head in Paris, with Heretics emerging victorious 2-1 to end GIANTX’s impressive run.

These two squads were no strangers to each other, having already met three times in the VCT EMEA season where Heretics came out on top every time. On the biggest stage of the year, history repeated itself as Heretics once again proved the more resilient side.

A dominant start on Ascent

GIANTX opened the series on their map pick of Ascent, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. After taking the pistol, they were immediately shut down by Heretics, who strung together six rounds in a row and stormed to an 8-4 half. Heretics only grew stronger after the switch, sealing a one-sided 13-4 win.

Enes “RieNs” Ecirli was the star of the map, delivering an MVP-worthy performance on Sova with a 23/8/4 KDA, 224 ADR and a 1.84 rating. His highlight moment came with a Stinger 4K on the bonus round, setting the tone for Heretics early on.

GIANTX strike back on Lotus

Heretics doubled down on their unique Deadlock-Chamber composition on Lotus, but GIANTX had the perfect answer. Exploiting weaknesses across the map, they dismantled their opponents with aggressive play and clinical site takes.

Led by ara’s sharp Raze entries, GIANTX raced to a 9-3 half before closing the map 13-3 in dominant fashion. Every member of the roster chipped in, with ara finishing flawless in opening duels at 5-0.

Bind goes the distance

With the series tied, Bind became the decider and delivered the drama. Heretics pulled out a DRX-inspired Yoru setup while GIANTX leaned on Gekko and Deadlock. Early on, GIANTX looked in control, winning their fourth pistol of the series and building a 5-2 lead.

But after a Heretics timeout, momentum shifted. The map turned chaotic, and that chaos played right into Heretics’ hands. Captain Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius kept his team alive with back-to-back full stick defuses in rounds 17 and 18, while RieNs once again delivered clutch plays to deny GIANTX a comeback.

Heretics ultimately closed Bind 13-9, taking the series and knocking GIANTX out of Champions 2025.

Experience wins the day

After the match, Boo highlighted the team’s composure as the difference maker. “Crazy game, but we just kept believing, and I think that’s why we won,” he said.

While GIANTX exit in the top eight, their run marks a massive improvement after finishing in the bottom four of EMEA Stage 1 just five months ago. For Heretics, the journey continues in the lower bracket where they will next face the loser of Fnatic versus Paper Rex on 29 September.

VALORANT Champions 2025 is running from 12 September to 5 October in Paris, featuring 16 teams battling for a $2.25 million prize pool and the most prestigious trophy in the game.