Revisiting VCT Masters Bangkok 2025: Pre‑Tournament Power Rankings

The year is 2026, and I still catch myself thinking about the electrifying chaos of VCT Masters Bangkok 2025. Before the first bullet cracked through the opening duel on February 20, 2025, we had eight teams from four regions – Americas, EMEA, APAC, and China – all polished and primed for the international stage. Back then, like any obsessed fan, I scribbled down my own power rankings, mixing cold form analysis with a spoonful of gut feeling. Some predictions aged like fine wine, others… let’s just say hindsight is a merciless IGL. Today, I’m going to walk you through that pre-tournament list, tier by tier, and maybe share a few moments where my jaw literally dropped. ✨

Before we dive into the individual squads, here is a quick snapshot of how I stratified the competition. I placed the teams into four buckets – C, B, A, and S – based on their Kickoff runs and the sheer fear factor they carried into Bangkok.

Honestly, I still remember watching the Kickoff grand finals and thinking, “Yeah, these are going to be some spicy matchups.” Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up.

8. Trace Esports (C‑Tier)

Trace Esports came into the China Kickoff like a house on fire, beating heavy hitters like EDward Gaming, Dragon Ranger Gaming, and Bilibili Gaming. I was genuinely impressed with their early pace – it felt like they were cruising in fifth gear. But then the final happened. In their rematch against EDG, the wheels completely fell off. A crushing 1‑3 loss left them looking like a dragon that had forgotten how to breathe fire. Their overall consistency just didn’t convince me enough to place them higher. The raw talent of LuoK1ng, Kai, and heybay was undeniable, but the mental fortitude needed on an international stage seemed… wobbly. If there was ever a team that could pull off an upset, it was them – but my gut kept whispering “prove it first.”

7. Team Liquid (C‑Tier)

Team Liquid was an emotional rollercoaster. They played eight matches in EMEA Kickoff, won six, and took down names like Team Heretics and FUT Esports. I’ll be real with you – their semifinal form had me almost shuffling them up a tier. But then came the grand final against Vitality, a heartbreaking 2‑3 loss that showed both their brilliance and their fragility. NAts, the demon lurker, was still pulling strings, and Keiko was flashing brilliance, yet the edge felt blunted against absolute top-tier competition. I looked at their roster and thought, “This is a box of fireworks – gorgeous when it works, messy when it doesn’t.” In a tournament packed with predators, that unpredictability kept them in the C‑Tier for me.

6. Sentinels (B‑Tier)

Ah, the NA darlings. Sentinels made me bite my nails more than once. They won three of five in the Americas Kickoff, and the only thing standing between them and invincibility was their old nemesis, G2 Esports. Both their losses came against G2 – talk about a thorn in the side! In the grand final, they still dragged the series to a 3‑2 thriller, and I remember screaming at my screen when Zekken went on a rampage. The team had that special ingredient:

… unpredictability.

You could never count them out. Johnsqt’s calling, Bang’s support, and N4RRATE’s entries – it all felt like poetry in chaos. Still, the two clean 0‑2s against G2 earlier in the kickoff left me cautious. I settled on B‑Tier, fully knowing they could make me look silly on any given day.

5. T1 (B‑Tier)

T1 walked through the APAC Kickoff with only two losses – both to DRX, the eventual champions. That alone is nothing to scoff at. They beat giants like Paper Rex and Gen.G, and players like BuZz and Meteor were lighting up the server. Their two losses against DRX were knife-edge close; map after map, it felt like one wrong blink could flip the outcome. I had them at B‑Tier because while they were clearly a force, they lacked that final 1% of clutch magic against the absolute elite. Stax’s leadership was steady, and iZu’s flex play added depth, but the international stage requires a little extra fairy dust. Could they find it in Bangkok? I was leaning towards “maybe,” and that’s exactly why they sat right on the border of A.

4. EDward Gaming (A‑Tier)

EDward Gaming’s journey in the China Kickoff was a redemption arc that had me grinning. They lost once – a bitter 0‑2 to Trace Esports – but then turned into a revenge machine. In the final, they dismantled Trace 3‑1 with ZmjjKK putting on a showstopper performance that left the arena shaking. CHICHOO’s icy defence and nobody’s shot calling made them look like a well-oiled war engine. Internationally, they had always brought flair; Smoggy and S1Mon knew how to shine under the bright lights. I placed them in A‑Tier because while they could beat anyone on a good day, the occasional stumbles against lower-ranked teams kept them just below god-tier. My note to myself at the time: “If they stay consistent, they’re terrifying.”

3. DRX (A‑Tier)

DRX were the silent assassins of APAC. Four matches, four wins, and they made T1 look ordinary not once, but twice. MaKo’s anchoring and Flashback’s explosive entries painted a picture of near-perfection. Here’s the thing – DRX never seemed to break a sweat. They moved like a synchronized squad, punishing every half-step their opponents took. Yet, the lack of a deep international test in the Kickoff left a tiny question mark. Could they maintain this surgical precision when facing EMEA and Americas titans? I believed so, but it was the only thing keeping them out of S‑Tier. Sitting at A‑Tier felt right – dominant, but not yet given the crown.

2. Team Vitality (S‑Tier)

Now we’re entering the promised land. Team Vitality steamrolled through EMEA with a perfect 4‑0 record, never dropping a series. They didn’t just beat teams – they dismantled them. A 2‑0 over Heretics, a 2‑0 over FUT, and a nail‑biting 3‑2 grand final victory over Liquid made them look untouchable. Derke was in his final form, Less was unbreakable on defence, and Sayf orchestrated the chaos like a maestro. I watched their games and whispered, “This is art.” Putting them in S‑Tier was a no‑brainer. The only question was whether an international Goliath like G2 could match their tempo – and that brings us to the top spot.

1. G2 Esports (S‑Tier)

And the crown goes to G2 Esports – the team that made dominance look routine. They bulldozed Cloud9, Leviatan, and Sentinels 2‑0, then outlasted Sentinels again in a breathtaking 3‑2 grand final. Valyn’s mid‑rounding, trent’s utility, and leaf’s mechanics were like a three‑headed dragon. Every time I thought they were slipping, they’d pull a round out of thin air. Jawgemo’s entry fragging and JonahP’s support gave them a balance that felt unfair. The Americas Kickoff painted G2 as a nearly flawless machine, and frankly, if I had to bet my last skin on a Bangkok champion, they’d be it.

… But that’s the beauty of Valorant, isn’t it? Rankings are just stories we tell before the bullets fly. All eight teams walked into Bangkok with world‑class talent and a pocketful of dreams. Some improved, some stumbled, and some turned my tier list into confetti – but that’s a story for another day. For now, I’m just happy I got to witness the ride. 💫