History in the making at VCT Masters London as four team carry the expectations of all major regions
By the time dawn comes on VALORANT Masters London’s final weekend at the Copper Box Arena, every region will still have a reason to believe the trophy will be theirs.
Twelve teams arrived in London carrying the hopes of the APAC, China, EMEA, and the Americas. Two weeks later, Paper Rex, Edward Gaming, Team Vitality, and Leviatán remain standing, each carrying a different story into the final stretch of the season’s second international event.
Some arrived as favorites, others were viewed as dangerous outsiders, but all four in the past two weeks have proven they belong in the Finals. The only question remaining is who will make it.
Paper Rex
The scary part about Paper Rex is that their performance isn’t the least bit surprising.
The Pacific champions were widely considered the strongest team in the competition before the event began. After a convincing 3-0 victory over FULL SENSE in the APAC regional final, PRX arrived in London as the first seed to beat. Expectations were high, but they have been met at every stage of the tournament.
Leviatán were swept aside 2-0 in the quarterfinals before Team Vitality were defeated 2-1 in a hard-fought upper semifinal. With that victory, Paper Rex became the first team to qualify for VALORANT Champions 2026.
The organization has been one of the most consistent international contenders in VALORANT’s history, and another Masters trophy would confirm that PRX aggressive style remains effective even as the meta continues to evolve.
However, the pressure is now greater than ever. Anything less than first place would feel disappointing for a team that has spent the entire tournament looking like the favorite. The target on their backs has only grown larger, and every remaining contender to the trophy has had time to study PRX extensively – yet sometimes that’s still not enough.
Edward Gaming
For Edward Gaming, this tournament has become another chapter in a much larger story.
China’s most successful international organization arrived in London as the region’s number one seed after claiming yet another domestic title. The roster still features much of the core that won Champions 2024, and that experience has shown throughout the event and their experience has been visible throughout the playoffs. FUT Esports pushed them to three maps, and EDG found a way through. Xi Lai Gaming then tested them again in an all-Chinese match, but another 2-1 victory followed.
There is a sense that this team thrives when the stakes rise. International tournaments have repeatedly become the stage where EDG performs its best VALORANT, and another deep run would only strengthen its legacy as the organization that helped establish China as a true contender on the world stage.
Yet some concerns remain as both playoff victories from EDG pushed them to three maps, and neither series was completely under control. Against stronger opposition later in the bracket – like PRX in the upper bracket final – those slow starts and small mistakes could become far more costly.
Team Vitality
The EMEA representatives entered Masters London as one of the event’s strongest rosters on paper, and, before the tournament started, many had ranked Vitality as the leading title contenders. First results supported those predictions.
Vitality advanced through the Swiss Stage with a perfect 2-0 record and followed that performance by eliminating Team Heretics in the playoffs. And what makes Vitality dangerous is the feeling that their best VALORANT may still be ahead of them. Their ceiling remains incredibly high, and lower-bracket runs have often produced some of the most memorable championship stories in VCT history.
Their region’s history offers extra motivation. No EMEA team has won an international VCT event since Fnatic lifted the trophy at Masters Tokyo in 2023. If Vitality completes the lower bracket run, they would finally return a major international title to a region that has watched APAC, China, and Americas teams take center stage in the VCT circuit in recent years.
However, lower bracket runs leave little room for error. Another loss ends the tournament immediately and even though Vitality have proven they can deliver, consistency has occasionally been an issue. Their – and EMEA’s – hopes now depend on producing their best VALORANT when the pressure is highest.
Leviatán
Leviatán’s presence in the final four is a reminder of how quickly perceptions can change at an international event. Not many predicted the second seed from Americas would still be standing on the final weekend, and yet their trajectory seems to point at the trophy.
The Americas second seed entered Masters London after a surprising run to the VCT Americas final, where only G2 Esports prevented them from claiming the regional title. Their qualification marked the organization’s first international appearance since Champions 2024, and many questioned whether this young roster would produce results on one of VCT’s biggest stages – those doubts have slowly disappeared.
Although Paper Rex handed them a 2-0 defeat in their opening playoff match, Leviatán responded with victories over Team Heretics and Xi Lai Gaming to keep their tournament alive. And honestly, youth has become one of their greatest strengths.
Between fearless and sometimes reckless plays, this roster has looked increasingly comfortable as the tournament has progressed. But the lower bracket is demanding both physically and mentally, and the three competitors remaining will put to the test whether Leviatán can be the titan it aspires to be.
As the tournament enters its final stage, each remaining team carries a different expectation and a different source of motivation, yet only one of those stories will end with a title.
Featured image credit: Riot Games
Cecilia Ciocchetti
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