The January 30 matchday at VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff went as expected—clear favorites secured victories and progressed to the next round, while the underdogs were eliminated, losing their chance to qualify for Masters Bangkok.

Fnatic vs. Gentle Mates

Fnatic finally delivered a top-tier performance that their fans had been waiting for. The team had no trouble securing the win, playing what was likely one of the fastest matches at VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff. They crushed Gentle Mates with a 2-0 scoreline, as the French club managed to win only 11 rounds across two maps (Abyss – 5:13, Fracture – 6:13). Fnatic advances to the next stage to face FUT Esports, while Gentle Mates exit the tournament.

Team Liquid vs. GIANTX

Following Fnatic’s dominant showing, Team Liquid also put on one of their best performances, confidently closing out GIANTX 2-0. The key players in their victory were Kamo and Keiko, who took turns delivering a masterclass on Raze. First, Kamo dominated on Fracture with 22 kills, followed by Keiko on Split, who finished the match with 25 frags and a K/D ratio of over 2. For GIANTX, this was their final match in the tournament, while Team Liquid moves forward to face BBL Esports on January 31.

VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff runs from January 15 to February 9 in LAN format at the Riot Games Arena. Twelve partnered teams from the VCT league are competing for two spots at Masters Bangkok and valuable EMEA Points, which are crucial for qualifying for the World Championship.