In one of the most competitive Valorant regions, the Americas, the first tournament of the VCT season has concluded. It turned out to be unpredictable due to the arrival of a new contender and key roster changes among top teams. However, only one team proved to be significantly stronger than the rest. We've prepared a general recap of VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff, highlighting the teams that impressed and those that fell short of expectations.

In this article:

• Biggest Surprise
• Underwhelming Performances
• Consistently Strong Results
• Tournament Summary

Biggest Surprise

It’s difficult to single out one team that stood out in this tournament, as its outcome was hard to predict due to the long break between matches and numerous roster changes. However, MIBR, who had not placed higher than sixth in regional tournaments last season, showed significant improvement after signing one of the world's best duelists, Aspas, alongside nzr. In their first VCT tournament, they secured third place and were just one step away from a Masters Bangkok 2025 slot.

Sentinels also surprised many. After the 2024 season, the team lost two strong players: TenZ, one of the most legendary and well-known pros, and Sacy, a captain who proved his strength in 2022 by winning the world championship with LOUD. Despite these major losses, the team managed not only to maintain but potentially even improve its competitiveness by signing young talents from the Tier-2 scene. Their second-place finish at the tournament is proof, as they were just one map away from the championship.

Underwhelming Performances

One team also stood out but for the wrong reasons – Leviatan. In 2024, they finished third at the world championship, yet their first tournament of 2025 was disappointing, as they ended in 5th-6th place at VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff. They were eliminated by their former player Aspas, now competing for MIBR. This suggests that their offseason roster changes negatively impacted the team. However, Leviatan will have a chance to prove otherwise in Stage 1.

Consistently Strong Results

After this tournament, G2 Esports can be considered one of the most stable teams. Despite not being a fully partnered VCT team and only securing their spot through Ascension, they have demonstrated strong and, more importantly, consistent performances. They have now played in four regional tournaments in the Americas, with their worst placement being fifth, which was during their Tier-1 debut. Following VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff, they claimed their first trophy and secured a spot at their third international tournament, something many partnered VCT teams would envy.

KRU Esports has also maintained steady results. This is their fourth consecutive regional tournament where they finished mid-table. They consistently fall just short of securing international tournament slots, always missing a few key moments in their matches. However, their results remain strong enough for them to regularly qualify for Champions at the end of the season.

Tournament Summary

Ultimately, G2 Esports and Sentinels claimed the top rewards by securing tickets to Masters Bangkok, where the eight best teams in the world (two from each competitive region) will battle for a $500,000 prize pool and additional VCT points, which are crucial for Champions qualification. Here is the final standings of VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff:

VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff provided a great insight into the strength of updated rosters in the Americas region. Some teams lived up to expectations, others showed notable improvements thanks to smart offseason changes, while some remained stagnant and have yet to find their rhythm this season. The tournament ran from January 16 to February 8 in LAN format at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles. Twelve teams competed for two spots at Masters Bangkok, which were ultimately secured by G2 Esports and Sentinels.