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FUT Esports and FNATIC made their statement early: both teams swept through Week 3 of VCT EMEA Stage 1 undefeated, claiming the first two playoff tickets before the real crunch time begins. With six spots still up for grabs, the race to join them is wide open.
Group Alpha
Group Omega
Both FUT and FNATIC close out the group week at a perfect 3-0 record. No one else is even close yet.
FUT's path to qualification wasn't clean, it was clutch. Against Team Liquid on Haven, the map went all the way to double overtime before FUT pulled through to take the series 2-0. The standout was xeus, who dropped 30 kills on Jett in a performance that silenced every doubter.
What makes FUT dangerous is their consistency across different reads. They adapt mid-series, punish rotational mistakes, and lean on mobile duelists to create fast site hits. That duelist-forward approach is exactly what the current EMEA meta rewards, and xeus is one of its best practitioners right now.
If you've been sleeping on Jett in ranked, xeus is your reminder to reconsider. Mobility and entry-fragger ceiling on Jett remain elite, especially on aggressive maps like Haven. For more on how mobile agents stack up after the recent patch cycle, check out our Waylay nerf and Saturate patch guide.
FNATIC went into their Week 3 match against PACIFIC Esports on Split sitting 7-5 down at halftime. Instead of tilting, they flipped the script: kaajak posted 28 kills and the team clawed back the win to seal the 2-0 series and a playoff spot.
Comeback wins at the pro level aren't luck. They come from clear comms, belief in your system, and a read on what the opponent is doing wrong. FNATIC's ability to reset mid-game is exactly the kind of mental edge that separates diamond from radiant in ranked too.
That mindset gap is real, and it shows up in the data. If you've hit a rank ceiling where your stats don't match your placement, our breakdown of ranked impostor syndrome and MMR skill gaps explains why, and what to actually do about it.
Group Alpha
Group Omega
Week 4 update: Team Liquid bounced back against NaVi 2-1, keeping their playoff run alive. Eternal Fire edged PACIFIC 2-1, consolidating their push for one of the remaining berths. Six teams are still fighting for the remaining spots.
The EMEA meta right now is built around mobile duelists, fast executes, and punishing slow rotations. FUT and FNATIC both embody this, with different flavors: FUT through individual carry performances, FNATIC through structured system plays.
In ranked, that translates to a few concrete adjustments:
Week 4 of VCT EMEA Stage 1 settled most of the bracket, confirming five playoff spots and eliminating two more teams from contention. The decisive match results keep only a handful of berths in play ahead of Week 5.
Week 4 results:
Confirmed playoff spots (5 teams):
From Group Alpha, FUT Esports (4-0) hold the first seed, Team Liquid (3-1) secured second, and Gentle Mates locked up their berth. In Group Omega, FNATIC (4-0) and Eternal Fire (3-1) are both through, with FNATIC claiming the top seed.
Still fighting:
Team Heretics (2-2) needs a win over FUT to secure their Alpha spot. In Omega, both BBL Esports and GIANTX sit at 2-2 and control their own destiny, while NaVi (1-3) need help to stay alive.
Eliminated:
Karmine Corp (0-4) and PACIFIC Esports (0-4) are both out, finishing the group stage without a single series win.
Following the Week 3 results, KRÃ and LEVIATÃN are the last undefeated teams in VCT Americas.
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