Red Bull Home Ground #5 is one of the largest tournaments of this offseason, bringing together fourteen teams from around the world in one place. Invited and qualified teams will compete for the championship title and prize pool. For fans, this is one of the most anticipated events in recent times, offering a first look at the updated rosters of top teams like Sentinels, G2 Esports, Fnatic, and others.
In this article:
- Tournament format
- Red Bull Home Ground #5: International Play-In participants
- Red Bull Home Ground #5 participants
- Favorites and underdogs of Red Bull Home Ground #5: International Play-In
- Favorites and underdogs of Red Bull Home Ground #5
- The tournament’s biggest dark horse
- Red Bull Home Ground #5
- Key players to watch
- When, how, and where to watch Red Bull Home Ground #5
Tournament Format
The tournament is divided into two stages: the main event and the International Play-In, where teams will fight for the last two spots in the main stage.
International Play-In
The International Play-In will begin with a double-elimination bracket. Eight teams (two invited—G2 Esports and G2 Gozen—and six qualifiers from different regions) will compete for advancement. All matches will be best-of-one (bo1). Only two teams will secure spots in the main event: the winners of the upper bracket final and lower bracket final.
Participants of Red Bull Home Ground #5: International Play-In
- G2 Esports (Invited)
- G2 Gozen (Invited)
- Siko Esports (Belgium Qualifier)
- NXT (Dutch Qualifier)
- Permitta Unicorns (German Qualifier)
- Zen eSports (Chilean Qualifier)
- FUT Esports (Turkish Qualifier)
- BBL Esports (EMEA Qualifier)
Red Bull Home Ground #5
The main event will follow a Swiss system. Eight teams will play until they either secure two wins to advance or two losses to be eliminated. All matches will be bo1.
PlayoffsOnly four teams will make it to the playoffs. Teams with 2:0 records will face teams with 2:1 records from the Swiss stage in semifinals played in a best-of-three (bo3) format. The grand final will be a best-of-five (bo5), deciding the strongest team of the tournament.
Participants of Red Bull Home Ground #5
- Fnatic (Invited)
- FOKUS (Invited)
- Karmine Corp (Invited)
- Team Heretics (Invited)
- Cloud9 (North America)
- T1 (APAC)
- TBD (International Play-In #1)
- TBD (International Play-In #2)
Favorites and Underdogs of Red Bull Home Ground #5: International Play-In
The International Play-In, starting and concluding on November 20, features a mix of teams ranging from Tier 1 professional squads like G2 Esports, BBL Esports, and FUT Esports to lower-tier teams, including the women’s roster G2 Gozen.
Favorites
The top contender is G2 Esports, which made only one roster change, replacing Icy with jawgemo to strengthen a weak position. Despite the bo1 format introducing unpredictability, G2 Esports is expected to secure one of the two spots. FUT Esports is likely to claim the second.
Underdog
The main underdog is G2 Gozen. This will be their second experience competing against male rosters, following their appearance in qualifiers for Red Bull Home Ground #4, where they lost all three matches. This time, they face tough competition, starting with BBL Esports led by jamppi.
Favorites and Underdogs of Red Bull Home Ground #5
Favorite
Team Heretics is the clear favorite of the tournament. After placing second at Valorant Champions 2024, they retained their roster, which should positively impact their performance. While other teams have either lower skill levels or recent roster changes, Team Heretics stands out. Their success depends on their focus, as this event is not a priority for them. However, if they remain determined, they could win.
Underdog
FOKUS is the main underdog among the confirmed teams, excluding those advancing from the International Play-In. As the only non-VCT team in the main event, FOKUS competes in the Challengers league and likely received a direct invitation as a representative of the host country.
The Tournament’s Biggest Dark Horse
BBL Esports is a team that comfortably secured their spot at Red Bull Home Ground #5: International Play-In through the EMEA Last Chance Qualifier, defeating UCAM Esports Club 2:0 in the finals. The team was formed right before the qualifiers, consisting of experienced players led by jamppi. Considering that some top teams may not prioritize this tournament, BBL Esports could seize this opportunity, approach it seriously, and build confidence ahead of VCT 2025.
Red Bull Home Ground #5
Red Bull Home Ground #5 is arguably the biggest tournament of this offseason and a unique one. It marks the fifth event in this series. The first tournament took place in 2021, with a prize pool of approximately $32,000. The second followed later that same year, and the event has since become a traditional end-of-season competition following the main VCT tournaments.
The scale of Red Bull Home Ground has grown each year. Today, the prize pool stands at $100,000, and the qualifiers are held worldwide, with the final stage being a LAN event. In previous seasons, regional finals were held in the Americas (won by Cloud9) and the Asia-Pacific region (won by T1). Now, the finals will take place on the international stage in Germany, one day before the main event.
Who to Watch at Red Bull Home Ground #5?
Several intriguing teams deserve attention during the tournament:
- G2 Esports: This could be their final season in the VCT league, making it crucial to build strong form to retain their spot in the league.
- Fnatic: The team signed Sayonara exclusively for the offseason and brought in newcomer kaajak.
- Karmine Corp: They revamped their roster, replacing four players and signing top talents like saadhak and Suygetsu.
Matches featuring these teams will be the most compelling, offering a first glimpse at whether their roster changes were the right call.
READ MORE: All VALORANT Champions Winners: Full Review
When, How, and Where to Watch Red Bull Home Ground #5?
The Red Bull Home Ground #5: International Play-In kicks off on November 20, where two teams will secure spots in the main event. The main stage of Red Bull Home Ground #5 will take place from November 21 to 23.
Both events will be streamed live on the official Red Bull channel on Twitch. You can also follow the action on our website, which will feature an embedded video player on match pages and detailed statistics.
Visit bo3.gg to find not only the schedule and results of Red Bull Home Ground #5 but also information about other leading esports tournaments in Valorant and beyond.
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