The VALORANT Champions 2026 group stage in Shanghai has officially concluded. Running from September 24 to October 4, the opening phase eliminated half of the field and locked in the final eight teams for the playoff bracket. The results delivered massive heartbreak for the host nation while solidifying the Americas as the most dominant region of the tournament.
Americas Teams Achieve Perfection
All four teams representing the VCT Americas league successfully navigated the group stage to secure playoff berths. 100 Thieves and NRG had already booked their tickets by winning their respective groups earlier in the week. Over the weekend, G2 Esports and LOUD joined them by surviving the high-pressure decider matches.
G2 Esports secured a comfortable 2-0 sweep over Team Liquid in Group C to claim their spot. LOUD followed suit on Sunday with a commanding 2-0 victory against Global Esports in the Group B decider. This makes the Americas the only region to advance its entire roster of teams into the playoffs.
Complete Elimination for the Host Nation
The tournament has officially ended for the Chinese home teams, marking a disastrous international showing. TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming, EDward Gaming, and JD Gaming were all eliminated in the lower bracket, finishing in 13th to 16th place overall.
EDward Gaming suffered a 2-0 defeat against Global Esports, officially eliminating the 2024 world champions.
JD Gaming put up a valiant fight in their elimination match, but they ultimately fell 2-1 to T1 after a tense comeback on Lotus. The complete exit of the host region leaves the Shanghai crowd without a local team to support in the upcoming playoff stages.
Pacific Rises as EMEA Falters
While the Americas thrived, the Pacific region also proved its depth by advancing three teams to the next stage. Paper Rex advanced early as the Group C winner, and they were later joined by T1 and Nongshim RedForce. T1 earned their spot by sweeping FUT Esports 2-0 in the Group A decider match. In Group D, Nongshim RedForce pulled off a crucial 2-1 series victory to eliminate Karmine Corp.
These decider match losses were devastating for the EMEA region. With Team Liquid, FUT Esports, and Karmine Corp all falling at the final hurdle, Team Vitality remains the sole EMEA roster left in the championship hunt.
The Playoff Picture
The eight remaining teams will now compete in a double-elimination bracket for the world championship title. All matches will be best of three until the lower bracket final and grand final. The upper bracket quarterfinals will begin on October 7 and October 8.
| Date | Matchup |
|---|---|
| October 7 | NRG vs T1 |
| October 7 | Paper Rex vs LOUD |
| October 8 | 100 Thieves vs G2 Esports |
| October 8 | Team Vitality vs Nongshim RedForce |
The tournament will soon transition to the Mercedes-Benz Arena, where the ultimate world champion will be crowned in the grand final on October 18.
