We continue our coverage of all matches in the VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff. Today, we’ll discuss the Upper Bracket Semifinal, where BBL Esports will face off against Team Heretics for a spot in the final. The match promises to be intense, and below we’ll analyze the potential outcomes.

Current Form of the Teams

BBL Esports

BBL Esports enter the Upper Bracket Semifinal of VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff in solid form. They were crowned champions of the Monsters Reloaded 2024 tournament, defeating three teams, including two VCT representatives. However, their run in the Red Bull Home Ground #5 qualifiers ended during the Play-in stage, raising questions about their consistency. Nonetheless, their victory over GIANTX in the opening VCT 2025 match demonstrated their ability to adapt.

A key issue for BBL has been the absence of Egor "chiwa" Stepanjuk, which led to the addition of Vakaris "vakk" Bebravicius to their roster. Despite vakk's less impactful performance, the team still secured the win, showcasing their strong teamwork.

Team Heretics

Team Heretics had a less active offseason, focusing instead on in-game synergy. Their Red Bull Home Ground #5 run ended with a 5th-6th place finish, and their performance at HereticsXP #2 was underwhelming, with a significant loss to Gentle Mates. However, their impressive second-place finish at Champions 2024 highlights the team’s high potential.

Heretics’ main advantage is their stable roster, which has remained unchanged since last season. This continuity could be a decisive factor against BBL, who are still integrating their new player.

Map Pool Analysis

BBL Esports

BBL traditionally bans Pearl and Bind. In recent matches, they’ve leaned towards Haven, where they have a high win rate (75%). Split also stands out as a strong map for them with an 80% win rate.

BBL will likely pick Haven, where they feel most confident, and leave Split as a potential decider to leverage their strong win rate.

Team Heretics

Heretics typically avoid Fracture, where they have their lowest win rate. Their preferences often fall on Haven and Bind, which they’ve played numerous times over the past six months. Sunset stands out as their most successful map (78% win rate), making it a probable pick.

Heretics will likely choose Sunset and leave Haven in the pool, with Split as the potential decider, a map that suits both teams.

Predicted Map Picks:

• Bans: Pearl (BBL), Fracture (Heretics)
• Picks: Haven (BBL), Sunset (Heretics)
• Decider: Split

Head-to-Head Matches

In the past six months, BBL Esports and Team Heretics have faced each other in tournaments, but BBL’s roster has undergone significant changes since then. This makes past results less relevant in evaluating their current chances. While Heretics’ stable roster gives them an edge, BBL has shown considerable improvement in recent matches.

Match Prediction

The match is expected to be closely contested, as both teams have their strengths. Team Heretics roster stability and strong performances in major tournaments work in their favor. On the other hand, BBL Esports are in excellent form after their victory at Monsters Reloaded and have demonstrated good adaptability, even with a new player.

The map pool will play a crucial role. If BBL can impose their game on Haven and Split, their chances of winning increase significantly. However, Sunset, a likely choice for Heretics, could pose a serious challenge for BBL.

Prediction: The match will likely end 2:0 in favor of Team Heretics, thanks to their stable roster and ability to adapt to their opponent’s style.