GIANTX and Joblife Triumph in VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 2 Play-In Opening Round
The opening round of the Play-In stage at VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 2 saw two teams from the lower bracket secure their spots in the next phase. GIANTX and Joblife claimed victories in their respective matches, advancing to the quarterfinals of the upper bracket.
GIANTX vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
GIANTX kicked off the series with a win on Lotus (13:5), followed by a loss on Ascent (9:13). The team clinched the decisive match on Summit, taking the map 13:9 to close out the series with a 2:1 victory.
The best player of the match was Ondřej "MONSTEERR" Petru, who recorded an ACS of 251. This result was 1% lower than his average over the past six months, yet it proved sufficient to secure the win for his team.
Natus Vincere vs. Joblife
In the second match of the day, Joblife emerged victorious. They won on Breeze (13:8) but fell short on Split (7:13). The series was decided on Ascent, where Joblife secured a hard-fought 15:13 victory to finish the match with a 2:1 score.
The top player by ACS for the match was Emil "runneR" Trajkovski, who ended the series with a 248 ACS and was named MVP. His performance helped Joblife defeat the experienced roster of Natus Vincere.
Tournament Context
The winners, GIANTX and Joblife, have now joined the quarterfinals of the upper bracket. The losers, Eintracht Frankfurt and Natus Vincere, dropped to the lower bracket but retain their chance to compete for a playoff spot.
VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 2 runs from July 15 to August 30. Sixteen teams are competing for $250,000, Championship Points, and two direct slots in VALORANT Champions 2026. The top four teams from the Play-In will face off against the four teams that advanced directly from the group stage.
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