The fortunes of Korean teams competing at the Valorant Champions Paris have diverged sharply. While DRX celebrated, T1 suffered a bitter exit.

DRX has upheld its cherished tradition of surviving the Round of 16 group stage, a streak maintained since 2022. Having appeared in the Champions for five consecutive years, the team has not only cleared the group stage every year since 2022 but also secured the top spot in its group for three years straight, from 2023 to 2024.

This year, expectations were tempered for DRX, as they were placed in Group C—the so-called 'Group of Death.' It featured EMEA Stage 2 winners Team Liquid, Americas' second seed NRG, and the reigning Champions, EDG.

However, DRX proved their mettle on the global stage. On Sunday the 14th, they showcased clinical late-game focus against Team Liquid, taking the first map 13-8 and the second 13-10 to reach the winner's match. While a grueling full-series battle against NRG ended in a narrow defeat, forcing them into the decider, DRX remained unfazed. Rematching Team Liquid on Sunday the 21st, the team replicated their earlier success. Despite both maps tied at 6-6 during the first halves, DRX dominated the second halves, closing out maps with 13-8 and 13-7 victories. Securing second place in Group C, DRX extended their impressive four-year streak of group stage survival.

Conversely, the other Korean representative, T1, failed to overcome the final hurdle and missed out on the playoffs.

T1, placed in Group D, began their campaign with a 2-0 sweep against Dragon Ranger Gaming after some tense overtime exchanges. However, on Thursday the 18th, T1 faltered against EMEA powerhouse Team Heretics, failing to win a single map. Their journey ended on Monday the 22nd with a 0-2 loss to Americas Stage 2 champions G2 Esports, sealing their elimination.

T1, having been knocked out in the final decider of the group stage during the 2023 Valorant Champions, unfortunately found themselves staring down the same fate once again this year.

The conclusion of the group stage on the 23rd saw EMEA and the Americas assert dominance, each pushing three teams into the quarterfinals. For EMEA, only Team Liquid fell—twice to DRX—while GiantX, Fnatic, and Team Heretics advanced. In the Americas, only Sentinels were eliminated; NRG topped Group C, while MIBR and G2 Esports secured second-place spots in Groups B and D. As for the Pacific league, Paper Rex took first in Group A, and DRX advanced as the runner-up of Group C.

With the group stage concluded, the knockout stage draw took place. The four group winners, Fnatic, Paper Rex, Team Heretics, and NRG, were placed into the bracket. Following the draw for the second-place finishers, MIBR was selected, but due to their previous grouping with Fnatic, they were moved to the opposite side of the bracket. DRX was drawn next, resulting in a high-stakes showdown against Fnatic.

The playoffs kick off on Thursday the 25th with the clash between Paper Rex and G2 Esports. The tournament follows a double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-three series, while the upper bracket final and the grand final will be best-of-five.