The final tournament of the Kickoff series has concluded, and now we not only know all the participants of Masters Bangkok but also the teams that added another trophy to their collection. We have already summarized the three other regions, and now it's time for EMEA. In this article, we will review the overall results of VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff, highlighting teams in different categories.

In this article:

• Biggest Surprise
• Underwhelming Performances
• High Achievements
• Tournament Summary

Biggest Surprise

If you've been following the EMEA region at the start of the season, you already know which team was the biggest surprise. After the last transfer window, no one expected such a result—perhaps not even the players themselves. Especially considering that the team had a mediocre start to the tournament, dropping to the lower bracket in the second round. We're talking about Team Liquid, which eliminated two tournament favorites and secured second place, earning a slot at Masters Bangkok. Final result of VCT 2025: EMEA KIckoff:

Another team worth mentioning is BBL Esports with its completely revamped roster. The club moved away from its Turkish lineup, signing an international squad that included Jamppi. Not only did they defeat Fnatic, but they also put up a strong fight against Team Heretics and Team Liquid—all this despite playing with a stand-in, as one of their main players couldn't obtain a visa to Germany. With their full lineup, BBL Esports could have achieved an even better result than 5th-6th place.

Underwhelming Performances

Fnatic was the biggest disappointment of the tournament. Expectations were much higher than their 5th-6th place finish. The team only managed to beat Gentle Mates, losing both of their other matches and missing out on the first international tournament of 2025. Their 2024 season started similarly, but they later won two regional tournaments and finished 5th-6th at Champions. Hopefully, they can replicate or even surpass that success this year. Following VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff, Fnatic has already begun major roster changes, including the search for a new head coach. Despite such a performance, 2 players entered the final ranking at once, so here are the top 5 best players of VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff:

Another tournament favorite that failed to meet expectations was Team Heretics. They finished third, which was not enough to secure a Masters Bangkok slot. A second-place finish was the minimum expected, especially after their runner-up finish at Champions 2024, where they competed against the 16 best teams in the world. However, at VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff, they suffered a crushing defeat against Team Liquid, ultimately ending their run in third place.

High Achievements

Team Vitality was the biggest breakthrough of the tournament. In 2024, the team had average results, but after roster changes and the signing of Derke and Less, they transformed into a completely different team. Their dominance was evident at VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff, where they secured first place without a single loss, defeating Team Heretics 2:0 in the upper bracket final and Team Liquid 3:2 in the grand final. The main credit for this can be given to Derke, who was the only player from the team to make it into the top 5 best players of the tournament, securing the number one spot. Here is the top 10 best players of VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff: 

Tournament Summary

In the end, Team Vitality and Team Liquid secured the main rewards—tickets to Masters Bangkok. There, they will join the top eight teams in the world (two from each competitive region) to compete for a $500,000 prize pool and additional VCT points, which are crucial for qualifying for Champions. Here's the final standings for VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff:

VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff was a great indicator of the strength of the newly formed rosters in the European region. Some teams met expectations, others made significant progress thanks to the right off-season changes (Team Liquid, Team Vitality, BBL Esports), while some are still struggling to find their rhythm this season. The tournament took place from January 15 to February 9 in a LAN format at Riot Games Arena. Twelve teams competed for two spots at Masters Bangkok, which were ultimately claimed by Team Liquid and Team Vitality.