VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 – 4 Teams Remain: Who Will Secure the Last Spots for Masters Toronto?

The VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 tournament is approaching its long-awaited conclusion, and very soon we'll find out which of the remaining teams — Team Heretics, Fnatic, BBL, and Team Liquid — will claim a slot at the upcoming Masters Toronto. Let’s break down the current state of play and see who’s closest and most likely to secure those coveted spots.

The Bracket Situation at VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1

As we mentioned earlier, only 4 teams remain in the tournament. Two — in the upper bracket, namely Team Heretics and Fnatic. Teams BBL and Team Liquid are in the lower bracket. The most important matchup will be the one between Team Liquid and BBL, as it is the one that will decide who gets the slot at Masters Toronto, since only the top three teams can make it. Fnatic and Heretics are already guaranteed to qualify regardless of the result of their match. However, that doesn’t mean the teams will relax too much and won’t fight for first place, because in addition to the three tickets to Masters, EMEA Points are also being awarded at VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 — 5 points for first place, 3 points for second, and 2 points for third.

EMEA Points: Are They Really That Important?

EMEA Points play a vital role in the competitive ecosystem. They are used for:

• Qualification for international events: Teams with the highest point totals receive direct invites to events like Masters and Champions.
• Regional rankings: Points help seed teams in future tournaments and reflect their status in the EMEA region.

Thus, EMEA Points are a measure of consistency and performance throughout the season, rewarding sustained success.

Predicting the Outcome of VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 – Who Will Be Champion?

Although the results can be unpredictable, we’d like to analyze and make a prediction for the tournament winner, based on the performance of the remaining teams. On paper, the strongest team by far is Team Heretics — they gained a lot of form during the tournament and show no signs of slowing down. Heretics perform strongly in terms of individual skill, and each player on the roster can deliver insane highlights. In our opinion, they should win against Fnatic in the semifinal without much trouble and reach the grand final, where they will likely face Fnatic again in a rematch. Fnatic are also performing well throughout the tournament, although they are remembered more for their teamwork than individual skill, and compared to Team Liquid and BBL they look much better and more confident — we think they will take second place at VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1.

As for Liquid and BBL, it’s very hard to make a confident prediction, but over distance, the Liquid roster looks slightly better. Still, BBL could surprise and squeeze out a win over Liquid, especially if Jamppi and the team win the first map. It’s very unlikely that either of these teams will climb above third place — after all, Team Heretics and Fnatic are playing at a significantly higher level, and it should be them who meet in the grand final.

Schedule of the Last Matches of VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1

The next match will be Team Heretics vs. Fnatic, which will take place on May 16 at 18:00 EEST. On the same day, May 16, Liquid and BBL will play an elimination match for the final slot at Masters Toronto at 21:00 EEST. The lower bracket semifinal will take place on May 17 at 19:00 EEST, and the grand final — the last day of the tournament — will be held on May 18 at 19:00 EEST.

Interim Results of VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1

A surprise for many fans of the pro scene was the terrible performance of Team Vitality, who assembled a star-studded roster that included one of the best duelists — Derke. Despite having well-known players, they placed 7th–8th, losing their only playoff match to FUT Esports with a score of 2:0 and exiting the tournament. As for the team that surprised in a good way — it was Natus Vincere. No one expected them to even get out of the group stage, as their gameplay and agent choices looked very uncertain in the current meta. Despite that, NAVI were one step away from beating Liquid, but nAts and his team managed to edge out NAVI despite losing the first map. Finally, we suggest you take a look at the tournament bracket of VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1.

The VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 is the first major regional tournament of the 2025 VALORANT Champions Tour for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.It serves as a critical qualifier for international events like Masters Toronto and the season-ending Champions tournament.