FNATIC has once again asserted their dominance in VALORANT’s EMEA region, claiming the VCT EMEA Stage 1 2025 championship title with a decisive 3-0 victory over a resilient Team Heretics.
FNATIC, being one of the regions top 3 teams, will qualify for VALORANT Masters Toronto, followed by Team Liquid and Team Heretics.
To start things off, FNATIC overwhelmed Team Heretics early on Split (13-4).
Team Heretics then had a better performance on their Icebox pick, but ultimately fell short, 13-9 as Fnatic utlized their zero-duelist composition. They seemed like they were getting their footing at Fracture, starting at 4-0. But ultimately, it was FNATIC who conquered the map, winning at 14-12 overtime.
Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski, known for his performance in EMEA’s Ascension tournament, led players across the entire series. kaajak replaced mainstay duelist Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev who left for Team Vitality earlier this year.
According to vlr.gg, kaajak collected an average combat score of 316, outfragging teammates and foes by at least 16 kills (73/33/17 KDA) while collecting the least deaths in the three-game matchup.
As the championship team, FNATIC will directly be seeded into the VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025, joining Rex Regum Qeon (VCT Pacific), XLG Esports (China), and G2 Esports (Americas).
Looking back at FNATIC’s VCT EMEA Stage 1 journey
Fnatic’s journey through the Stage 1 tournament showcased consistent excellence.
After a strong 5-1 record in Group Alpha alongside Team Heretics, they carried their momentum into the playoffs. They dispatched FUT Esports 2-0 before a 2-1 victory against Team Liquid.
The highly anticipated Upper Bracket Final saw Fnatic face Team Heretics for the first time in the playoffs, sending Heretics to the lower bracket, 2-0.
Team Heretics then bounced back with a commanding 3-0 sweep against Team Liquid in the Lower Bracket Final, setting up a Grand Final rematch.
Fnatic delivered a masterclass performance in the Grand Final, securing a clean 3-0 victory to lift the VCT EMEA Stage 1 trophy.
Team Liquid and Team Heretics are the second and third EMEA teams to qualify to VALORANT Masters Toronto.
Looking back at major roster changes: From Derke to florescent
VCT EMEA Stage 1 saw both significant roster changes and compelling group stage action.
Derke left FNATIC and Ava “florescent” Eugene, debuted, making her the first Game Changers competitor in top-tier VCT. He went for a fresh start at Team Vitality, but the squad had underperformed compared to expectations following a strong showing at the EMEA Kickoff.
Internal tensions between Derke and teammate Nikita “trexx” Cherednichenko also surfaced after Vitality’s elimination in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, florescent made her debut in the VCT EMEA league with Apeks.
Despite the initial hype and florescent’s individual performance being statistically strong, Apeks struggled significantly as a team, finishing the group stage without a single win (0-5).
Unfortunately, after Stage 1 concluded, the 18-year-old announced a break from the VCT season. She cited personal and family emergencies and the challenges of relocating to Berlin.
