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The upcoming FURIA vs G2 matchup in the Upper Bracket Semifinals of the VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 Americas Kickoff, set to take place on January 16 at Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, promises an exciting clash between two teams with very different backgrounds and playstyles. FURIA will look to showcase their aggressive and fast-paced approach, while G2 enter the series aiming to impose structure, discipline, and international experience. With a place deeper in the upper bracket on the line, this series is shaping up to be a compelling test of form and preparation.
Let’s dive in.
How the bookies view it: G2 favored
Bookmakers see G2 as the clear favorite, with odds of 1.26 for a win, while FURIA are priced at 3.59. The numbers reflect G2’s stronger track record and experience, but FURIA still have a chance if they can play their game and catch G2 off guard.
G2 Esports form. What result can be expected from G2 Esports
G2 Esports is a European VALORANT esports team representing the G2 organization and consistently competing in both regional and international VALORANT tournaments across online and LAN formats. Throughout 2025, G2 demonstrated strong performances, winning multiple regional events and securing high placements at international competitions, which cemented their reputation as one of the top VALORANT teams globally. The current lineup combines fragging firepower and strategic depth, featuring players leaf, valyn, trent, jawgemo, with JonahP having left the active roster late in 2025. This roster maintains a balance of experienced players and tactical versatility to compete at the highest level in Europe and internationally.
- G2 Esports roster: leaf, valyn, trent, jawgemo, babybay.
Throughout 2025, G2 achieved notable results across multiple tournament tiers. They won VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff 3–2 and VCT 2025: Americas Stage 1 3–1, later capturing VCT 2025: Americas Stage 2 with a 3–0 score and Red Bull Home Ground 2025 3–0. Internationally, the team finished 2nd at VALORANT Masters Bangkok 2025 (2–3) and placed 4th at VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025, while also performing competitively at the VALORANT Radiant International Invitational (4th) and Esports World Cup 2025 (13th–16th). At VALORANT Champions 2025, G2 finished 7th–8th, showing solid competitiveness against top international teams. These results highlight G2’s consistency, resilience, and ability to challenge elite squads across multiple regions.
The departure of JonahP late in 2025 was the most significant roster change heading into 2026, but the team’s core remains strong. Leaf and valyn provide reliable fragging power, while trent and jawgemo contribute strategic depth and map control. This synergy aims to maintain G2’s high level of play and competitive consistency against top European and international opponents.
G2 Esports has historically been a dominant presence in European competitions and a strong contender globally. While international events exposed moments where coordination and clutch execution could be improved, the team’s experience, combined with their roster stability, positions them as one of the favorites in any matchup.
Overall, G2 enters the VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 EMEA Kickoff with a proven record and strong roster cohesion.
G2 Esports map pool
Based on their recent matches, G2 Esports demonstrates strong activity across most maps in the current competitive pool, which includes Pearl, Split, Bind, Haven, Abyss, Corrode, and Breeze. Their strongest map is Pearl, where they have a 100% win rate, showing confident execution and control. Split and Bind are also reliable, with approximate win rates of 75%, while Haven sits around 71%, and Abyss and Corrode are slightly lower at 67%. Breeze is less frequently played but remains a viable option, with a 60–65% win rate in recent matches. Overall, G2 tends to perform best on Pearl, Split, Bind, and Haven, while Abyss, Corrode, and Breeze are situational picks. This map pool flexibility allows them to adapt strategies effectively and maintain a competitive edge against top-tier opponents.
FURIA form. What result can be expected from FURIA
FURIA is a Brazilian VALORANT esports team representing the FURIA organization and regularly competing in regional VALORANT tournaments, including the VCT Americas circuit. After a difficult 2025 season, in which the team struggled to produce consistent results and failed to make significant progress in major events, FURIA entered 2026 with a virtually rebuilt roster and a new strategic direction. The organization has moved several players to inactive status and brought in a mix of veterans and international talent as part of a full roster overhaul, aiming to strengthen the team’s performance and competitiveness.
- FURIA roster: artzin, eeiu, koalanoob, nerve, alym.
Throughout 2025, FURIA faced a challenging run: the team finished 9th–12th at VCT Americas Kickoff, failed to win any group stage matches in VCT Americas Stage 1 and Stage 2, and struggled against many top regional opponents. FURIA’s results in 2025 reflected deeper issues with coordination and consistency, leading to multiple roster changes as the organization looked to reset ahead of the 2026 season.
The roster overhaul ahead of 2026 aimed to address those weaknesses by bringing in players with diverse experience, including former Natus Vincere player koalanoob, as FURIA shifts toward a more international core. While the new lineup is still coalescing, the changes indicate the team’s intent to be competitive across maps and styles.
While FURIA has historically been a recognizable name in the Latin American Valorant scene, maintaining consistency against stronger regional and North American opponents has been difficult in recent seasons. Matches in 2025 showed tactical gaps and coordination issues, and although the new roster offers potential, the team needs time to fully integrate and perform at a higher level.
Overall, the 2025 season for FURIA highlighted the need for restructuring and strategic realignment. For 2026, the team’s main objective is to build cohesion with the revamped roster, improve consistency in competitive play, and challenge for better placements in regional tournaments while aiming to return to international qualification contention.
FURIA Map Pool
FURIA shows mixed results across their recent map pool, with some maps proving challenging and others offering potential for strong performances. The team has struggled on Haven and Ascent, with 0% win rate on Ascent over three matches and 0% on Haven in six matches, showing particular difficulties on control maps. Bind and Split are moderately successful for FURIA, each with a 33% win rate, reflecting inconsistency across attack and defense rounds. Icebox has been challenging as well, with a 33% win rate over six matches, despite strong attacking rounds in some games. Pearl, Lotus, and Sunset have shown limited success, with win rates ranging from 0–20%, though Sunset’s round stats indicate some potential to compete. Abyss stands out as a rare strength, with a 100% win rate in their only recent match, while Corrode has been inconsistent, with one win in three matches. FURIA has not recently played Breeze or Fracture, leaving these maps largely untested. Overall, FURIA’s map pool reflects a team with sporadic successes but clear vulnerabilities on key maps like Haven, Ascent, and Bind that could be exploited by top-tier opponents.
FURIA Esports and G2 Esports: Head‑to‑Head
Across their recent competitive history in VCT events, G2 Esports hold the clear advantage over FURIA. In the matches that are publicly documented, G2 have won each head‑to‑head series they’ve played against FURIA, with multiple 2–0 victories in best‑of‑3 series during VCT 2025: Americas Stage 1 and also in VCT 2025: Americas Stage 2, while FURIA have yet to record a series win against G2 in these encounters.
Predicted result of the match between FURIA Esports vs G2 Esports at VCT 2026: Americas Kickoff
Looking at the form, roster stability, and recent results, G2 enter this matchup as the clear favorite. Their experience, map pool flexibility, and consistent performances against top-tier teams give them a strong edge. FURIA have potential, especially if they can play aggressively and catch G2 off guard early, but the team is still integrating their new roster and has shown inconsistency on several key maps. A realistic expectation is that G2 will take the series, likely 2–0, though FURIA could make it competitive if they manage to capitalize on early rounds and force G2 into uncomfortable positions.
Prediction: G2 Esports wins 2:0.
