After the fourth week of VCT EMEA Stage 2, Gentle Mates and Apeks have been knocked out of the playoff race — and won’t even be returning in 2026. Alongside Team Liquid, Team Heretics, and Fnatic, both BBL Esports and GIANTX have now secured their spots in the final stage, after defeating Team Vitality and M8 respectively.

Teams qualified for the VCT EMEA Stage 2 playoffs:

To kick off Week 4, Team Heretics made short work of FUT in a one-sided clash, keeping their unbeaten record intact. With a 13-6 win on Haven followed by 13-7 on Bind, the Spanish side never gave the Turkish roster any room to breathe. Benjamin “benjyfishy” David Fish was flawless on Cypher and Viper, playing a key role in shutting down FUT at every turn.

Two relegations

Apeks then opened the action in their Omega Group bottom-table matchup. Both teams came into the series 0-3 in this stage and desperately needed a win to keep their season alive. The Norwegian squad drew first blood by taking Lotus, but their Spanish opponents woke up and struck back hard — winning the next two maps 13-4 on Ascent and 13-8 on Haven — crushing Apeks’ playoff hopes and ending their VCT EMEA journey.

It was a similar story for Gentle Mates. The French side started strong, taking Corrode 13-8 against GIANTX thanks in large part to Berkcan “ComeBack” Şentürk’s standout performance. But the Anglo-Spanish roster bounced back, edging out a nail-biting 14-12 win on Ascent before closing the series on Haven in dominant fashion, conceding just four rounds. Like Apeks, M8 exit VCT EMEA through the back door.

Surprises and qualifications

Natus Vincere and Karmine Corp kept the momentum going in a match that could have booked KC’s spot in the playoffs. Those plans were spoiled by the Ukrainian squad, who rode the hot hand of Uğur “Ruxic” Güç. NAVI narrowly took Sunset 14-12, then closed the series on Corrode. On VALORANT’s newest map, NAVI put on a defensive clinic before sealing the deal on attack, pulling even with the Blue Wall at 2-2 in the Omega Group standings.

In the Alpha Group, BBL Esports booked their playoff ticket on the final day of Week 4. Facing Team Vitality, the Bees struck first, taking Lotus 13-11 in a tight opener. But the Turkish squad fought back, winning Icebox to tie the series and force a decider. With Burak “LewN” Alkan unstoppable on Yoru, BBL clinched the final map 13-10, securing both the win and their place in the playoffs.

To wrap up the week’s VCT EMEA action, fans were treated to a heavyweight showdown between Fnatic and Team Liquid. The series started at full throttle, with Georgio “Keiko” Sanassy and Emir “Alfajer” Ali Beder trading blows — but it was Keiko and TL who came out on top. A razor-thin 14-12 win gave the Dutch organization the series lead heading into Ascent, where Jake “Boaster” Howlett and his squad collapsed completely, scoring just a single round. The result handed Team Liquid their fourth straight victory and cemented their playoff momentum.