After five intense weeks of competition in Stage 2, the eight teams qualified for the VCT EMEA playoffs are finally set. In Group Alpha, Gentle Mates had already been eliminated last week, and it is ultimately FUT Esports who join them on the sidelines after falling to their Turkish rivals BBL Esports. On the other side, in Group Omega, Apeks and KOI also see their seasons come to an end, closing what has been a long and difficult year for both clubs. Theses two teams never truly managed to find their rhythm in this league.

The playoffs will kick off on August 21 with Fnatic taking on BBL Esports. Already qualified for VALORANT Champions in Paris, FNC secured second place in their group with relative confidence and never seemed in real danger of missing out. For BBL, qualification was only locked in at the very last moment — a nail-biting 2-1 victory over FUT on Friday evening sealed their ticket to the postseason. The winner of this opening clash will move on to face Team Heretics, while the loser will be dropped into the lower bracket. TH, the only team to finish groups with a perfect 5-0 record, have been riding a wave of momentum ever since their triumph at the Esports World Cup and now seem well on their way to securing their place at the World Championships.

The favorites and the rest

The second matchup of Day 1 will feature GIANTX against Natus Vincere, with the winner earning the right to challenge Team Liquid in the next round. Both GIANTX and NAVI came through groups of 3-2, but their paths have been very different. For GIANTX, this playoff run already feels like an overachievement: roster changes have paid off, and the Anglo-Spanish squad suddenly find themselves dreaming of Worlds in Paris despite a very shaky start to the year.

NAVI, meanwhile, continue to do what they have for several seasons now, stay consistent without ever really shining, comfortably mid-table but rarely breaking through to the top. The winner here will face TL, first seed of Group Omega. The Dutch organization had looked nearly flawless this split, but their surprising stumble against Karmine Corp and their new recruit Artur “pyrolll” Minin in the final group stage match may have revealed the first cracks in their armor.

Down in the lower bracket, both French organizations, Karmine Corp and Team Vitality, are waiting to meet the losers of the opening round. After two difficult stages, both teams will need to find another gear if they want to earn the chance to play in front of their home crowd in France. There are some signs of life though: each managed to pick up a win in the final week of groups, giving them a much-needed confidence boost heading into the playoffs. For Vitality, however, the narrow 2-1 victory over M8 — one of the least impactful squads in EMEA this year — is far from reassuring.