Among the four VALORANT Challenger teams competing in the VCT EMEA Stage 2, three advance to the Playoffs, while big names like Fnatic and Team Heretics had their 2026 seasons wrapped early.
As of Aug. 16, the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Play-Ins stage has ended. This year, every VCT region welcomed the top four Challenger teams in the Play-Ins, giving them a real shot at qualifying for VALORANT Champions 2026.
Challengers at VCT EMEA Stage 2 Play-Ins
The EMEA Play-Ins stage had eight VCT teams competing against the Challenger teams, with only four total slots available in the Playoffs. After the dust settled, three out of the four teams advancing to the Playoffs are Challengers. The only VCT team is FUT Esports.
The first team to qualify was Enterprise Esports, which had a clean run through the upper bracket. It won against Fnatic (2:1), Gentle Mates (2:0), and another Challenger team, Fire Flux Esports (2:0). The latter also qualified, although through the lower bracket.
Still, Fire Flux Esports had a strong run after beating PACIFIC Esports (2:0) and Team Heretics (2:1), before dropping to the lower bracket and facing Joblife (2:0).
Last but not least is Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite losing to GIANTX 1:2, the team had a flawless run through the lower bracket, single-handedly eliminating Gentle Mates, Team Heretics, and Eternal Fire, an Ascension team that performed exceptionally well against Tier 1 teams throughout the year.
VCT 2026 EMEA power rankings
Coming out of Masters London, Fnatic ranked #9 on the power rankings; Eternal Fire ranked #15; Team Heretics ranked #17; GIANTX ranked #24; NAVI ranked #25; and Gentle Mates ranked #29. Overall, the EMEA region has been falling behind the Americas and Pacific this year.
Fnatic, the team that went the distance against NRG at VALORANT Champions 2025, hasn’t qualified for any global events this year. While this is unfortunate for the fans and the teams, it also seems there’s fire in the region’s Tier 2 scene, with even more talent likely flooding in next year through open qualifiers.
Heading into EMEA Stage 2 Playoffs
Next stop is the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Playoffs, running from Aug. 20 to Aug. 30, with the finals taking place in Barcelona. The top two teams in the playoffs secure their spot at Champions Shanghai. The bracket is set—the tournament starts with Team Liquid vs FUT Esports and Team Vitality vs Enterprise Esports in the upper bracket.
Because Fire Flux Esports and Eintracht Frankfurt qualified through the lower bracket, they enter the competition through the lower bracket as well. There’s one Champions spot among these teams and no second chances, so if any of them want to reach Champions, they must win four series in a row.
