G2 Esports has claimed the VCT Americas Stage 2 trophy by defeating NRG 3-0 in yesterday’s Grand Ultimate.
With this victory, G2 has additionally gained each VCT Americas competitors of the 12 months and earned the area’s first place for the VALORANT Champions 2025 Group Stage.
VCT Americas Stage 2 passed off from July 18th till August thirty first, that includes 12 contestants and a $250,000 (~£185,000) prize pool. Because the third and last regional competitors within the 2025 VALORANT esports calendar, the match additionally represented the final likelihood to qualify for VALORANT Champions 2025 in September.
G2 Esports has been competing in VCT Americas since successful the regional Ascension match in 2023. This 12 months, specifically, the crew grew to become one of many top-performing groups inside the Americas tier-one circuit, successful VCT Kickoff and Stage 1.
Though G2 Esports attended Masters Bangkok and Masters Toronto earlier this 12 months, the squad got here in need of a global trophy on each events.
Heading into Stage 2, G2 needed to miss out on its star sentinel participant, Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf, who was combating well being problems. Consequently, the roster signed Andrej ‘babybay’ Francisty as a last-minute stand-in.
This choice stunned many within the VALORANT esports group, as babybay had final competed for FaZe Clan in 2023 and had been working as a VCT caster since.
G2 Esports Stays High VCT Americas Group
Nevertheless, babybay proved a worthy stand-in for leaf, serving to G2 take second place in Group Alpha throughout the single round-robin Group Stage. From its 5 Group Stage video games, G2 solely misplaced the opening match in opposition to Sentinels, who would later be eradicated within the Decrease Bracket Ultimate.
G2’s run within the double-elimination Playoffs was much more dominant, because the crew got here out undefeated in opposition to 100 Thieves (2-0) and NRG (2-1). Furthermore, leaf returned for the rematch in opposition to Sentinels to ship the Group Alpha opponent to the decrease bracket (2-0).
In yesterday’s Grand Ultimate in opposition to NRG, G2 earned its third VCT Americas trophy of the 12 months with a clear 3-0 efficiency. The crew gained Bind (13-11), Lotus (13-8) and Ascent (13-10), regardless of Lotus being thought of NRG’s finest map.
The roster’s high-fragging in-game chief (IGL), Jacob ‘valyn’ Batio, was awarded the Grand Finals MVP title. Whereas out-calling the enemy crew, valyn nonetheless managed to attain a median fight rating (ACS) of 189 all through the collection.
As well as, G2 has now secured the primary Americas seed for VALORANT Champions after changing into the primary crew to qualify for the season-ending international occasion. Champions will run from September ninth till October tenth, that includes 16 groups and a $2.25m (~£1.66m) prize pool.
G2’s first opponent within the Champions Group Stage shall be VCT EMEA fourth seed, Group Heretics.
