Team Vitality is the first EMEA team to qualify for Masters Bangkok

Team Vitality clean swept Team Heretics in the EMEA Kickoff 2025 Upper Bracket Final, becoming the first team from the region to qualify for Masters Bangkok.

Team Heretics, on the other hand, will now compete in the Lower Bracket Final, making it their last chance to secure a spot for the international stage. The 2024 Champions runner-ups will face either FUT Esports or Team Liquid depending on who wins the Lower Bracket Semifinal match.

Team Vitality features a brand-new roster for VCT 2025 with pros from all over the world. This includes Finland’s Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev, formerly a player for Fnatic. This qualification marks the first time he will reach an international VCT event with a different team.

Speaking about this in the post-match interview, Derke said: “It feels good playing in a different team with good people around me—it’s kind of like fresh energy. The boys are really young and hungry. It means a lot, like getting into another team, and of course, they [Fnatic] didn’t make it while I qualified instead of them, so I’m happy.”

Vitality has lost just one map throughout the entire tournament. Even against Heretics, the team started strong on Haven, securing an 8-1 lead. However, Heretics attempted to push back, not only closing the gap but also snatching the lead with nine consecutive round wins. 

Despite this, Vitality regained control of the match, winning five back-to-back rounds to close out the first map by 13-10.

Abyss was a more one-sided affair, with Team Heretics managing to win just one round. Vitality dominated entirely, taking the map by 13-1 and securing the series with a convincing 2-0 record.

Team Vitality will now face the winner of the Lower Grand Final on February 9 to compete for the ultimate trophy and the first seed for Masters Bangkok. The best-of-five Grand Final will be streamed live on VCT EMEA’s official Twitch and YouTube channels. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, DRX and G2 Esports have also secured their spots for Masters Bangkok. This has left one final slot up for grabs for both the Americas and EMEA.