Continuing Our Coverage of Champions Tour 2025: EMEA Kickoff – Lower Bracket Round 2. Today, we focus on the second round of the lower bracket, where Gentle Mates will face Fnatic in a battle for survival. This match promises to be intense, and below, we analyze the possible outcomes.

Current Form of the Teams

Gentle Mates

Gentle Mates have not participated in any tournaments for the past five months. Their only recent appearance was at the HereticsXP #2 show match, where they secured a 2-0 victory over Team Heretics. In their last five matches, they claimed three wins against KOI, Apeks, and Team Heretics but suffered two losses against Team Heretics and NAVI in the ongoing tournament.

The team can be described as stable but without major achievements in top-tier tournaments, making them a solid mid-tier contender.

Fnatic

Fnatic have been inactive for the past two months, with their last tournament being Red Bull Home Ground #5, where they placed 5th-6th out of 8 teams. In their last five matches, they secured three victories against ZETA DIVISION, Detonation FocusMe, and NAVI but lost to Leviatan and BBL Esports in this tournament.

Once considered favorites in 2023 and 2024, Fnatic are currently going through a rough patch. After roster changes, they lost their opening match to a relatively weak opponent and are now fighting for survival in the lower bracket.

Map Pool Predictions

Based on the teams' map preferences, we can anticipate the following map bans and picks:

Bans:

• Gentle Mates will likely ban Bind, as Fnatic have a strong 74% win rate on this map.
• Fnatic might ban Haven, a frequent pick for Gentle Mates where they boast a high 90% win rate.

Picks:

• Gentle Mates are expected to pick Split, where they have a solid 59% win rate, showcasing confidence on this map.
• Fnatic could opt for Lotus, which they have played less frequently but maintain an impressive win rate on.

Head-to-Head History

The last meeting between Fnatic and Gentle Mates took place in early 2024, with Fnatic winning 2-1.

Considering Fnatic's recent roster changes and their performance struggles, they are no longer favorites to win the entire tournament. However, in this match, they still appear stronger than Gentle Mates. While Gentle Mates have a chance to put up a fight, Fnatic are expected to take the victory—though not without difficulty.

Predicted Outcome: Fnatic wins 2-1

VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff is taking place from January 15 to February 9 as a LAN event at the Riot Games Arena. Twelve partnered teams from the VCT program are competing for two spots at Masters Bangkok and crucial EMEA Points needed for qualification to the World Championship.