G2 Esports Eliminated from VALORANT Champions Paris Playoffs After Close Series Against DRX

VALORANT Champions 2025 Paris Playoffs has delivered its first major blow with the elimination of one of top contenders and favourites to win the entire event – G2 Esports. The organization that dominated most of 2025’s VCT Americas with triple trophy lifts domestically failed to close out against Paper Rex two days ago in the Upper Bracket and again today against DRX.

The Kings of VCT Americas are Out

G2 Esports came into the 2025 season with one of the strongest starts, immediately winning Kickoff and followed it up with a Grand Finals appearance against T1 in Masters Bangkok.

Their middle of the year was quieter, still winning Stage 1 but fell relatively early in Toronto. Coming into Champions, however, many had them pinned as big favourites to take home the third Champions trophy for the Americas region with Paper Rex as the big opposite to that supposed run.

After an upset loss to Team Heretics in their opening match of Group Stage, G2 clawed their way into Playoffs, taking down Dragon Ranger Gaming and T1, and looked in much better form.

Then came Playoffs. An opening match against Paper Rex delivered beyond all expectations, with the two teams fiercely contesting across the full three maps. Ultimately, Paper Rex emerged the victor and G2 found themselves knocked to the Lower Bracket. Still, this was G2 and many still considered them favourites to make a run through the Lower Bracket.

However, DRX had other plans…

Pacific’s Fourth Seed Delivers Another Devastating Blow

DRX, a team that qualified through Champions Points to Paris, was not expected to do much. They had a difficult group and a form that looked far from Championship contenders. Instead, they wiped the floor with EMEA’s first seed – Team Liquid – in the opening match, lost to NRG, and then in a rematch, eliminated Team Liquid entirely from Champions 2025.

Now in the Playoffs, expectations ranged greatly as to whether DRX could continue their success. An opening match against Fnatic where they choked a 10-2 lead seemed to suggest not. But the team bounced back in Maps 2 and 3 to make the series close. Still, they dropped to the Lower Bracket where they would have to face a highly motivated G2.

By all accounts, this series was in G2’s favour. They had the pedigree, the players, the experience, and the tenacity to convert this into a win. But DRX’s tenacity was something else today. After a smooth Map 1 went the way of G2, Abyss came into the picture and Song “HYUNMIN” Hyun-min put up a lights out performance of 30 kills to propel his team into the final map of the series, Bind.

On that final map, G2, to put it simply, looked outclassed. G2’s traditionally strong performers like Nathan “leaf” Orf had an uncharacteristically quiet game, and Jonah “JonahP” Pulice, just days after one of his best performances ever on the global stage, had one of the worst performances in recent memory.

It’s a bitter note certainly for G2 to exit on, especially considering the year they’ve had and the expectations the members certainly had for themselves.

Follow Strafe Esports for the latest VALORANT news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured Image Credit: Adela Sznajder/Riot Games

Read More:

Fnatic Kaajak on Their Dramatic Comeback Win Over DRX: “We Started Believing After the Pistol”