counter point: talking about this year as a whole, not just stage 2, tell me in stage 1 or kickoff that GX would make Champs playoffs and you would call me crazy. not just talking about recent times, looking at it from a year-wide perspective. I agree that GX are not underdogs with how they played recently, but we also talk about mickey mouse runs a lot...

yeah, I would label GX's as more underdog-y due to their lack of experience, where NRG has Ethan and had a slightly stronger start to the year

An underdog run, yes. GX won a total of two series in both Kickoff and Stage 1. They then won seven games in Stage 2, and in their first international appearance all year with three rookies (two who joined mid-season), they won 2 of 3. 'Miracle' maybe takes away from the talent and development of the team, but they won as many games in Paris as they did in EMEA for the first half of the year.

tell that to stage 1 GX fans (they are awesome)

Yep, just got some of the team links confused, fixed!

Thank you for the EN coverage, hopefully see you next year!

Also, wanted to say, covering China so far this year has been tough (simply due to time zones, I am an Eastern Canadian man after all), but it has been so enjoyable. Thanks to all who read these Chinese recaps, thanks to some of my fellow writers who picked up days I needed to rest, and thanks to all the Chinese teams in 2025 for some awesome days, weeks, and tournaments!

Now time to flex to regions I can actually sleep regularly to watch.

After their rise to regional top seed, one question remains: https://youtube.com/shorts/tx8mjEsRWzA?si=GsWlpX0sDV54jBSn

It started close, but as it went on, the series clearly showed that BLG was the better team regionally. However, that hasn't been the case internationally, even in Toronto. Can BLG win the finals and finally return to upset potential at Paris? Or will DRG be the new Wolves? Or, even more unlikely after their year, can EDG actually return to Champs form?

whoops, just linked the wrong thing, fixed

Wolves fans, it was a blast. However, China is still open thanks to AG and TYLOO, will either of those two teams make it to Champs?

I can see the confusion, I just wrote the two winning teams, not that TALON wasn't top three, changed it to make more sense

Who will be the final team making it to Champs from VCT Pacific: DRX or TALON? Which team will be able to confidently talk their talk over the other?

I like it

RRQ keeps their win streak over Gen.G, while Nongshim have to make top two to guarantee their VCT spot. Are either of these two teams making top two in Stage 2?

FPX and Trace are officially unable to reach Champions, but could AG go on a run?

EDG, Trace, and FPX are all in the first round of the lower bracket. Do any of them make it to top two?

I run night mode, but the orders from on high were to use light mode for pictures of vlr itself, but no biggie

hard not to feel happy for them, honestly, with how tough they've had it, and now they have their roster and it's working

betting on that lower bracket run for Trace then?

Who will be the four VCT China teams making it to Champs 2025?

Nova are the bottom team in Group Omega, while XLG look great. Possible for sure, but maybe like around a 10-20% chance of the map differential being good enough for Wolves to make it in and DRG to fall out.

Not yet, they can still qualify, but it requires a lot to go right; basically, they need to stomp Nova in 2-0 fashion with a near-perfect map differential while DRG has to lose to XLG in a similarly disastrous 2-0 fashion too.

AG in playoffs after over a year of losing in VCT, Trace continuing their comeback, DRG losing two tough series in a week, and Wolves trying to force a miracle. Which storyline is keeping you guys most invested?

For those who didn't get to see it, rewatch that LEV/LOUD game from earlier this stage, because out of all the roster changes so far in Stage 2, both those teams look very intriguing to me.

TYLOO were the standout team of the week, but FPX and XLG are starting to build confidence once again...

Another regional title perhaps for XLG? Or are FPX truly back?

fixed, missed it in the mix, ty!

dude idk how the schedules will work for them

The most unbelievable part of that dream is that Shanks would only die twice

The Ascent was dominant, but I used 'scraped' because of how close map two was. Edited it to make it clearer, thanks for the message!

Back to my China weekly recaps, expect these every Monday! EDG and FPX won convincingly after missing out on Toronto, while Wolves struggled after returning from Canada.

Admin is a bit much, just a writer and editor

The train ain't stopping here, but the usual final stop is just before the destination all PRX fans want. Will it happen?

spoiler alert: it never was, fpx just got rly unlucky at internationals

dude if there was any paid throwing, as evidently pointed out by TMV, Juicy when he started looked like a straight ranked player was thrown on stage with no comms

but SiuFatBB and his team calmed him down when he knew he was playing bad, and he rebounded

Not often you see a three-map international series where each map is this dominant, but FNATIC were the ones who stayed alive and avoided the top seed curse in Toronto.

Yeah, honestly, idk how that got in there, fixed!

TMV co-stream, he's a British analyst who made up football chants for the Wolves Esports VALORANT players since the owners, the Wolverhampton Wanderers, are a Premier League football team.

guys, this wolverhampton wanderers esports team might be pretty good

(for those who know)

I JUST DONT THINK YOU UNDERSTAAAND

WE'VE GOT BB

Nah, due to my late timing on getting the press pass, I had other plans, so only Sunday for moi.

Dude, it was awesome, just seeing the crowd and players so close.

If this is a genuine question about vlr, yes!

If this is a compliment for me, aww, shucks.

Loud.

Being live for this game was great, from the SiuFatBB clutches to the final kills from johnqt to end it. Now back to my home.

not due to his play, just due to the fact that he got one (1) actual prac with the team, and only knew one week before he was playing at masters toronto with an emea team

Sorry, just meant Wolves' international debut as an org, and his quote was about his team as a whole, not just himself, fixed

Surprise, I was at the press conference!

Hello VLR community, my name is Michael Czar, but I'm also known as weivy, and I'm going to be live reporting for vlr.gg on Sunday, June 8th! If any of you are going to the event and see me, feel free to say hi! I'll be doing the recap for the Sentinels/Wolves game in the Swiss Stage, but I'll be around the venue beforehand as well.

Hope to see some of you there. There was no chance I was missing out on the first Masters in Canada, and I'd love to share some of that excitement with you all.