Riot Games has rolled out its first ever VALORANT Global Power Rankings (GPR), giving fans a data-driven look at which teams stand tall ahead of Champions 2025 in Paris. Powered by Amazon Web Services, the rankings are designed to finally settle one of the scene’s biggest debates: who really is the best in the world?
For now, the answer is clear. G2 Esports sit at the top of the inaugural list with a power score of 1521, edging out Singapore’s Paper Rex (1514) and Indonesia’s RRQ (1486). It’s yet another highlight in a dominant year for G2, who recently claimed the VCT Americas Stage 2 title after sweeping NRG.
How the Global Power Rankings Work
The GPR takes inspiration from Elo rating systems, blending two main elements: a team’s individual Elo and their league’s overall Elo strength. Riot settled on an 80/20 weighting between the two, which they say produced the most accurate predictions during testing.
This means that results are not just about wins and losses, but also about the context of those wins. Beating a higher-ranked team gives a big boost, while losing to a lower-ranked side can drag a team down. The system also places heavier importance on recent results, international events like Masters and Champions, and playoff matches compared to regular season games.
Other tweaks include factoring in round score (a 13-0 stomp is worth more than a close 13-11), attack vs defence performance, and eco/buy round outcomes. Still, match results remain the single biggest influence.
The model is updated daily, so expect shifts throughout Champions 2025 as upsets play out. Riot has also hinted at future upgrades in 2026, including deeper eco-round tracking, player-specific rankings, and dynamic scoring based on a team’s tournament stakes.
The Top 10 Teams Going Into Champions
Here’s how the GPR top 10 looks heading into Paris:
- G2 Esports (VCT Americas) – 1521
- Paper Rex (VCT Pacific) – 1514
- RRQ (VCT Pacific) – 1486
- Bilibili Gaming (VCT China) – 1467
- NRG (VCT Americas) – 1437
- Team Liquid (VCT EMEA) – 1436
- FNATIC (VCT EMEA) – 1427
- T1 (VCT Pacific) – 1421
- Dragon Ranger Gaming (VCT China) – 1416
- Sentinels (VCT Americas) – 1412
You can check out the full Global Power Rankings here.
At the other end of the spectrum, Brazil’s MIBR sit 27th out of the teams heading to Champions, while fellow Brazilian side FURIA rank dead last overall at 48th with a score of 1172.
Why It Matters
For fans, the Global Power Rankings add another layer of hype to Champions. Think of it as a snapshot of form heading into the biggest event of the year. If the GPR is accurate, we’ll see a tournament go as expected. But if it starts breaking down, that means upsets are happening, which is exactly what makes VALORANT so unpredictable.
Whether G2 can maintain their number one spot on stage is the big question. With the field stacked and the rankings updating daily, the storylines in Paris are set to be even spicier.