If you’ve been watching the VCT Americas lately, you’re probably wondering—like many VALORANT fans—how things got this stale. With the same teams winning, predictable scorelines, and no breakout talent in sight, one of esports’ most storied regions seems to be losing its grip on the hype.
Stage 2 of VCT Americas 2025 has seen 12 matchups since kicking off on July 19, and eight of them have ended in a 2-0, with the winning team comfortably stomping the other. The remaining series went 2-1, but even then, it wasn’t hard to tell who’d take the win after just the first map.
Interestingly, across all 12 series and numerous maps played in VCT Americas Stage 2 so far, only one map has gone to overtime (Lotus, between Sentinels and G2), which ended 14-12 after just a single extra round. Most of these games feature one dominant team and another seemingly lost in the chaos. The lack of nail-biting moments and real competitive tension in these face-offs is hard to ignore, and frankly, disheartening.
VALORANT offers plenty to keep players engaged, but for viewers, it’s the thrill of unpredictability that matters. And that thrill is gone if you can confidently predict the winner after one map in a best-of-three. Even if it’s meant as a joke, one viewer on Reddit nailed the sentiment: “Since basically every game in NA is a boring 2-0 stomp, should NA just start doing BO1s as the team who wins the first map basically always wins anyway?”
North America has a rich esports legacy, but in VALORANT, it’s falling behind. Once home to early dominance and ever-rising underdogs, the region now lags behind APAC and even EMEA, struggling to adapt while other regions evolve, innovate, and consistently produce stronger, more dynamic international contenders. Viewers from other regions are no longer willing to sacrifice their sleep schedule for VCT Americas, a huge change from past years.
While many fans point to Riot’s partnership move as the start of the decline for the Americas, regions like APAC and China have kept things fresh and exciting for fans despite everything. Teams like Paper Rex, Wolves Gaming, Trace Esports, RRQ, and Gen.G consistently bring innovation, bold playstyles, and thrilling runs on the global stage. With so many overtimes, unexpected strategies, and close outcomes, it’s hard to grow tired of watching Pacific and Chinese VALORANT rosters, thanks to their flair and unpredictability. Even in EMEA, outcomes aren’t as easy to predict as what we’re seeing in the Americas right now.
This brings us to the real question: Are we just witnessing a rough patch for VCT Americas, or is this the beginning of a long decline? Can the region bounce back to the level of excitement and competitiveness we once knew, or is the golden era already behind us?
If VCT Americas wants to reclaim its spark, the solution might be to shake up the format, encourage roster mobility, and create space for rising talent to break through. Without change, the region risks fading further into predictability and irrelevance. Whether that change will ever come, though, that’s a story for another day. For now, we can only wait for the third week of play, which begins on Aug. 1.
