Another day of VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff is behind us. Now, some of the best American teams of 2024 are starting their journey. This article focuses on one of them — Cloud9, who will face G2 Esports. We aim to predict the outcome of this match based on various factors influencing the game.

Current Team Form

Cloud9

Over the past month, Cloud9 has performed well in major tournaments. They reached the finals of Red Bull Home Ground 5, losing to T1 with a score of 1-3. However, their 6th-place finish in VCT 2024: Americas Stage 2 slightly lowered their standing in the eyes of fans.

Despite this, Cloud9 has won four out of their last five matches, defeating T1, G2 Esports, Team Heretics, and Fnatic, with their only loss being against T1. The team arrived at the tournament with a nearly revamped roster, which could pose some challenges. However, they’ve already showcased solid preparation early in the season, kicking off with a win.

G2 Esports

G2 has also made a mark in two major tournaments. They secured 3rd place at Red Bull Home Ground 5, pleasantly surprising their fans. However, their performance at VALORANT Champions 2024 was less successful, finishing in 8th place.

In their last five matches, G2 Esports has achieved three victories, defeating MIBR, Fnatic, and Karmine Corp. Their losses came against Cloud9 and T1, highlighting the need to improve against stronger opponents.

Map Pool Analysis

Cloud9

Due to their updated roster, Cloud9's current map pool remains unclear. It’s likely they will experiment with maps, adapting their strategies as needed.

G2 Esports

G2 has consistently banned Icebox (3 times in the past month).Their most successful maps include:

• Bind — 10 matches, 70% win rate.
• Sunset — 6 matches, 67% win rate.
• Haven — 9 matches, 56% win rate.

Predicted Picks and Bans:

• Cloud9 might ban Bind given G2’s strong win rate on the map.
• G2 Esports will likely ban Icebox, sticking to their usual strategy.
• Cloud9 could opt for Haven if confident in their preparation.
• G2 might prioritize Sunset as one of their strongest maps.

Head-to-Head

Over the last six months, Cloud9 and G2 Esports have faced each other once, two months ago. In that match, Cloud9 secured a 2-0 victory, demonstrating their ability to effectively counter G2.

Match Prediction

Cloud9 enters the quarterfinals in better form, boasting a streak of victories against strong opponents and confidence from their performance at Red Bull Home Ground 5. Their revamped roster has already proven its competitiveness, and G2’s prior loss to Cloud9 further underscores the latter’s edge in this matchup.

Prediction:Cloud9 holds a slight advantage due to their strong start to the season and their recent win over G2. Predicted score: 2-0 in favor of Cloud9.