Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy join Purp0 and Cloud to aim for a return to the top of one of the most prestigious international esports competitions

The global esports organization GIANTX has unveiled its new Valorant team for the 2025 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). The primary goal is to qualify for the Valorant Champions, the world championship that will take place in Paris, after an uneven 2024 season.

The roster includes Cloud, Purp0, Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy. Cloud and Purp0 remain with the organization, while Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy are new additions.

• Cloud will take on the role of in-game leader (IGL).
• Purp0 will continue to bring his ability to perform in key situations.
• Westside joins from Diamant Esports and makes his debut at the highest level.
• Runner, previously with Team Vitality, played in the 2024 world championship.
• Tomaszy, formerly of Rebels Gaming and Karmine Corp, also joins the project.

The coaching staff will be led by Pipson, with Waylander as assistant coach. Both bring extensive experience from the competitive scenes of Valorant and Counter-Strike.

The EMEA region will feature 12 teams in the 2025 VCT:

• GIANTX,
• Fnatic,
• Natus Vincere,
• Team Liquid,
• KOI,
• Team Heretics,
• Apeks,
• BBL Esports,
• FUT Esports,
• Gentle Mates,
• Karmine Corp,
• and Team Vitality.

The official competition kicks off in January with the Kickoff Tournament, where teams will compete for a spot at the first international event of the year: Masters Bangkok.

This weekend, GIANTX will participate in the preseason tournament Intel Monsters Reloaded 2024 in Istanbul.

Their first opponent will be Team Liquid on Saturday at 6:00 PM. If they win, they will face the winner of the match between BBL Esports and SuperMassive in the final.

Leading esports organisation Team Vitality and blockchain platform Tezos are celebrating two years of their industry-pioneering mobile app, V.Hive. An essential for fans of the club, V.Hive 2.0 has received a huge update to commemorate its second anniversary, with an updated look and introducing new, essential features for any esports enthusiast.

The V.Hive app has allowed Team Vitality to position itself as one of the technological leaders in the esports industry. From fan engagement to sales, the app plays an essential role for Team Vitality and establishes itself as the premier platform to support the club and its players.

TEAM VITALITY’S ECOSYSTEM IN YOUR POCKET, THANKS TO V.HIVE 2.0

To celebrate its second anniversary, the V.Hive mobile app is being refreshed with an all-new interface, as well as numerous new features highly requested by fans. V.Hive 2.0 will see a complete User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) overhaul, to enhance the current user experience and integrate the new features.

Following the update, fans can expect:

• A FRESH NEW LOOK

The all-new design of the app will make it easier and clearer to use, and more fluid to navigate. Fans will also be able to discover THE SHOWCASE – a dedicated space on the homepage which will bring together all the latest news and social media posts from Team Vitality’s accounts. Finally, access to exclusive V.Hive content, such as player and roster news, The Member Days, special collections, and merchandise discounts will all be made simpler thanks to a new, optimised interface of the new features.

• A NEW SHOP

With V.Hive 2.0, the new e-Shop will become more intuitive than ever. Team Vitality fans will now be able to shop more easily thanks to all the new filters and categories. Also being launched in V.Hive 2.0 is an exclusive offers and rewards program, in addition to the pre-existing loyalty program, allowing fans to accumulate discounts with ease. In summary – the more you use the app, the more benefits you reap.

• AN OPTIMISED MATCH CALENDAR

V.Hive 2.0 will also allow fans to filter and favourite matches in the all-new match calendar, meaning fans will never miss an event again. The calendar can sync with fans’ iCal and Google calendars and send notifications, ideal for events in different time zones. On top of that, all information and statistics for Team Vitality games and rosters will all be available in-app – whether looking for a stream link, a certain player, stats, or the timing of a game, all information is now available at the push of a button.

The global update of V.Hive 2.0 places fans at the heart of the app, facilitating and rewarding fan engagement with the club. V.Hive is a showcase of technological and innovative vision, designed to embody the ambition of the club.

AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN TEAM VITALITY’S INNOVATION STRATEGY

Since launching in November 2022, the V.Hive app, in partnership with Tezos, has revolutionised the esports market with its unique ‘support to earn’ features, powered by Web3. In two years, V.Hive has allowed the club to reward fans’ commitment, while directly integrating its partners into the heart of the Team Vitality community.

V.Hive has established itself as a powerful first-party data tool at the heart of Team Vitality’s data strategy. Through Web3 technology and offering an authentic, direct and interactive connection with the community, V.Hive can continue to optimise fan experiences and create tailor-made opportunities for partners. This approach also strengthens Team Vitality’s position as a leading B2B brand in esports.

The message is clear with V.Hive 2.0: Team Vitality wants to remain the most innovative mobile app on the market. A new era for esports begins with the update, where fans and partners are at the heart of the project.

“In just two years, V.Hive has become much more than just an app for our fans. It’s a reflection of our commitment to offering a unique and personalised experience. Thanks to this powerful, first-party data tool, we’ve transformed the way we collaborate with our partners, by offering them exclusive opportunities that are perfectly integrated into our ecosystem. V.Hive is a pillar of our innovation strategy, and allows us to reaffirm our positioning as a premium brand in esports” explains Amélie Canet, Fan Engagement and Marketing Director at Team Vitality.

After a thrilling Grand Final, T1 claimed the 2024 off-season champions title at this year’s Red Bull Home Ground. Emerging victorious with a 3-1 victory over Cloud9, they take home the much-coveted trophy for Korea.

In front of more than 2000 fans experiencing the excitement first-hand in Berlin, Germany and the thousands more watching at home, the professional VALORANT Invitational tournament saw a closely fought finale play out on the Arena Berlin stage.

As the event kicked off on Thursday 21 November, the Group Stages saw both T1 and Cloud9 put in dominant performances as they each went 2-0. While Team Heretics started in a strong position with a win over FOKUS, they fell to Cloud9 and, due to medical issues, were unable to continue, sending FUT Esports straight to the Semis. Vying for their own spot in the semi finals, last year’s champions Fnatic were unable to replicate their 2023 success as G2 headed into the lead with a 2-0 victory.

The Playoffs saw Cloud9 continue their dominant streak as their Semifinals match against G2 Esports went 2-0 with strong performances on both Sunset and Pearl. FUT Esports faced off against T1 in a hotly competitive game, with T1 taking the first map and FUT Esports the second. After a neck and neck showdown, T1 finally took Ascent as FUT bowed out the tournament and T1 advanced to the grand final.

The final stage of the competition saw Cloud9, who came in second place at last year’s tournament, go head to head against T1 in a thrilling matchup. Continuing to step it up in the grand final, T1 were off to a strong start as they took Abyss in a closely fought first match. Although Cloud9 soon equalled the score as they took the second map, it was T1 that eventually emerged victorious, winning the next two closely contested games to claim the trophy and Red Bull Home Ground 2024 champion title.

Following an excellent performance throughout the tournament, Red Bull Home Ground champion BuZz of T1 said: “Winning this tournament means a lot for us. Against international teams we show we’re strong, so that’s why I’m happy we win this tournament and maybe we can keep this momentum until the end of 2025!”