Welcome to all Valorant fans and viewers! From September 12 to October 5, 2025, the biggest tournament of the year — VALORANT Champions 2025 — is underway. Sixteen teams are battling for the title of “Global Valorant Champions” and a massive prize pool. On September 13 in the evening, Group C will bring us an exciting matchup between DRX and Team Liquid. This clash puts the Pacific region’s experienced squad against the EMEA top seed and Stage 2 champion. While Liquid enter as favorites, DRX have the depth and discipline to challenge them if they hit their stride. As the teams prepare, let’s take a closer look at potential map picks, recent form, and some betting insights.
How bookmakers see it: Team Liquid Favorite
Most bookmakers consider Team Liquid the favorite in their match against DRX at VALORANT Champions 2025. The European team has odds of 1.48, while the Korean side is given 2.54. Liquid come into this event after a strong run at VCT EMEA Stage 2, where they showcased one of the most consistent performances in the region. DRX, on the other hand, have struggled recently, losing their last two matches and winning only half of their previous ten, raising questions about whether they can keep up with Liquid’s current form.
Team Liquid form: What result can be expected from Team Liquid?
Team Liquid’s Valorant roster has had a strong season in VCT 2025. The team has won matches convincingly, though they sometimes faced tough games that required them to stay focused and play together.
The roster combines experienced players with newer talent. Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin consistently delivers frags and reliable performance. Georgio “keiko” Sanassy helps with strategy and map control. Kamil “kamo” Frąckowiak and Patryk “paTiTek” Fabrowski bring aggression and flexibility, while Nikita “trexx” Cherednichenko supports the team and creates clutch moments.
Liquid roster: nAts, keiko, kamo, paTiTek, trexx.
Overall, the team has looked very confident, regularly winning in the regional tournaments and performing well on key maps. In recent matches, Liquid has appeared focused and ready for serious challenges.
Notably, they won VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 2, defeating GIANTX 3–0 in the grand final. This result secured them a direct spot at Valorant Champions 2025 and confirmed that they are one of the strongest teams in the region.
Currently, Team Liquid is considered one of the favorites for the tournament. The team shows strong coordination and confident play, though they will still face tough tests against the best teams from other regions.
DRX form: What result can be expected from DRX?
DRX, the South Korean Valorant team, enters the 2025 Valorant Champions with a mixed season, showing both strong potential and areas for improvement. The team has had solid wins in group stages but also faced losses that highlighted some inconsistencies.
The roster combines experienced players with newer additions. MaKo brings aggressive plays and map control, free1ng adds flexibility and support, HYUNMIN provides reliable firepower, Estrella contributes strategic versatility, and Flashback, the latest addition, strengthens the team’s overall depth.
DRX roster: MaKo, free1ng, HYUNMIN, Estrella, Flashback.
During VCT Pacific Stage 2, DRX had a mixed run. They beat Rex Regum Qeon and Team Secret 2–0 in the group stage, showing strong map control and coordination. However, in the playoffs, they lost 0–2 to Rex Regum Qeon and 1–2 to Talon Esports, demonstrating vulnerabilities against top-tier opponents.
Overall, DRX is considered an underdog in Group C of Valorant Champions 2025, a competitive group that also includes Team Liquid, EDward Gaming, and NRG. The team has shown flashes of strong play, but consistent execution and adaptability will be crucial if they hope to advance past the group stage.
Currently, DRX’s outlook is cautious but hopeful. If the players perform at their best and capitalize on their strategic strengths, they could challenge stronger teams and make a deeper run in the tournament.
Head-to-Head History
To date, DRX and Team Liquid have not faced each other in official Valorant matches. Their first official meeting will take place on September 13, 2025, during the group stage of VALORANT Champions 2025.
Players to Watch
It’s worth highlighting the legend of Team Liquid, who consistently delivers a high level of play — nAts. This player is known not only for his signature skin choices on the Phantom and knife but also for his impressive and, most importantly, stable performance. It’s no coincidence that he has been with the organization since 2022. While Liquid often changes players, nAts remains the main star of the roster and continues to proudly represent the blue banners.
On the DRX side, the spotlight goes to HYUNMIN, their main Duelist. He’s exciting to watch, capable of flashy plays on Neon and Jett, and, when the map allows, on Raze as well. At just 19 years old, he has great potential, and it will be interesting to see how he performs against such a formidable opponent as Team Liquid.
Probable Map Picks
The map situation here is quite interesting. DRX always ban Sunset, while Team Liquid, depending on the opponent, can also choose to ban it — though they sometimes pick it as well. Both teams play on Corrode, so it’s more than likely we’ll see this map. Haven is also a map both sides often ban. This makes Lotus, Corrode, Ascent, and Bind the most likely options, with three of these four maps expected to appear in the match.
Anything else catch the eye?
It’s worth noting that Team Liquid has only two losses in their last 10 matches. Both of those series were very close, as they lost 2–1 to Karmine Corp and Paper Rex. On the other hand, DRX lost their last two matches, and if we look at their last 10 games, their win rate is about 50%. Compared to Team Liquid’s opposition, DRX has not faced opponents of the same caliber.
Match Prediction
After analyzing all the available information about both teams, it’s easy to conclude that this match should be a straightforward one for Team Liquid. If they perform at even 70% of the level they showed at EMEA Stage 2, DRX will have almost no chance. However, since this is the first match for both teams in the tournament, it’s a bit risky to bet on a 2–0 win for Liquid, even though the odds for that are quite good, around 2.5. Therefore, it’s safer either to bet on a Liquid victory overall, or to wait for the live format, evaluate their form, agent picks, and maps, and then place bets accordingly.
Main prediction: Team Liquid to win.
