The All Gamers vs. NOVA Esports match will be the final game of the first round of the VCT 2025: China Kickoff playoffs. There is no clear favorite in this matchup, as the winner will face EDward Gaming in the next round, while the losing team will drop to the lower bracket of the tournament.

Current Form of the Teams

All Gamers

Recently, All Gamers have participated in several tournaments, including the Superb Cup, FGC VALORANT Invitational 2024, WALL-E Cup, and Global Esports: Face Off. Despite their active participation, the results have been disappointing. The team repeatedly finished in mid-table positions, except for a fourth-place finish at the WALL-E Cup.

Out of their last five matches, All Gamers lost four. Three of those were 0-2 defeats, while one ended 1-2. Their only victory came against TYLOO.

Given their poor results, the team made significant roster changes by signing three new players, bringing the total number of players in their lineup to ten.

Nova Esports

Nova Esports have shown much more consistent form. The team took part in the Superb Cup, FGC VALORANT Invitational 2024, and WALL-E Cup, securing two second-place finishes and one 5th-6th place finish. These results indicate their ability to compete with the top Chinese teams.

Out of their last five matches, Nova Esports won three. One of their most impressive victories was against EDward Gaming, one of the strongest teams in the region. One of their two losses was a 2-3 defeat in a grand final, showcasing their competitiveness.

Unlike All Gamers, Nova Esports have not made any roster changes before the new season, keeping their lineup from the previous year.

Map Pool Analysis

All Gamers

All Gamers frequently ban Ascent and Haven. They prefer to pick Bind, Sunset, and Pearl, depending on their opponent.

Most played maps over the past year:

• Sunset — 16 times, 31% win rate
• Bind — 7 times, 29% win rate

Maps with the best win rate:

• Lotus — 75%
• Split — 100%

Expected Picks for All Gamers:

• Ban: Haven
• Pick: Lotus
• Ban: Fracture

Nova Esports

Nova Esports typically ban Bind and Pearl. Their preferred picks are Abyss and Sunset.

Most played maps over the past year:

• Sunset — 15 times, 67% win rate
• Ascent — 13 times, 31% win rate

Maps with the best win rate:

• Abyss — 88%
• Icebox — 100%

Expected Picks for Nova Esports:

• Ban: Bind
• Pick: Abyss
• Ban: Pearl

We expect Split to be the decider map, where the outcome of the match will be decided if the teams are tied after the first two maps.

Head-to-Head Matches

Over the past year, All Gamers and Nova Esports have faced each other four times. All Gamers won only one of those encounters, which happened almost a year ago.

The most recent two matches between the teams took place within the last two months, both ending in confident 2-0 victories for Nova Esports.

Match Prediction

Based on the current form and head-to-head history, Nova Esports are the favorites in this match. The team has demonstrated solid performances against strong Chinese teams during the off-season, has a higher win rate on key maps, and has maintained a stable roster for over six months.

While All Gamers might surprise with their roster changes, the new players have yet to prove their effectiveness in major tournaments.

Prediction: Nova Esports will win 2-0.

Tournament Overview

The VCT 2025 China Kickoff is taking place from January 11 to 25 in a LAN format at the VCT CN Arena in Shanghai. Twelve partner teams from the VCT program are competing for two invitations to Masters Bangkok and China Points, which are essential for qualifying for the World Championship.