Americas dominate VALORANT Champions Shanghai playoffs
Eight teams advanced to the VALORANT Champions Shanghai playoffs, with four from the Americas and three from the Pacific.
The VALORANT Champions Shanghai playoffs opened on October 7 with eight teams advancing from a group stage where Americas and Pacific regions secured seven of eight spots. The first playoff fixtures saw T1 face NRG and Paper Rex take on LOUD. All four teams from China's CN region were eliminated, leaving Team Vitality as the only EMEA representative to progress.
NRG and 100 Thieves lead Americas charge
NRG topped Group D without losing a series, advancing with a 2-0 record. They are now aiming to become Champions' first back-to-back winner and first two-time champion. A different team has won the tournament each year since it began in 2021. The Americas region has claimed three titles between 2021 and 2025. Americas teams lost only five of 22 maps in this group stage.
100 Thieves are the Americas' first seed. They reached the playoffs without dropping a map, sweeping T1 and FUT Esports. This marks their first VCT international appearance since Masters Shanghai in 2024. 100 Thieves also beat NRG to win the Esports World Cup.
Pacific’s Paper Rex and Nongshim RedForce seek breakthrough
Paper Rex went undefeated in Group C after 2-1 wins over Team Liquid and G2. Pacific is still seeking its first Champions title. The region's best previous result was Paper Rex's runner-up finish in 2023. Paper Rex reached two grand finals in 2024 and lost both, including a 3-0 defeat to Nongshim at Masters Santiago.
Nongshim RedForce made the bracket in its Champions debut. This follows its Masters Santiago 2026 victory and a runner-up finish at VCT Pacific Finals Busan.
Vitality carries EMEA hopes into quarterfinals
Vitality are the only EMEA team left in the playoffs. They beat Global Esports in a three-map opener that nearly went to overtime. They then swept LOUD, including a 19-17 overtime marathon on map two. Vitality still lack an international trophy despite the superteam label. Star player Timofey 'Chronicle' Khromov has pushed back on that label. Every player on Vitality posted numbers against LOUD. They face Nongshim in their playoffs quarterfinal.
Key matchups and player stories shape early playoff drama
T1 earned its playoff place by beating FUT Esports 2-0 in the group-stage decider. Both maps ended 13-10. iZu made key plays in key moments of the series. Peter 'Asuna' Mazuryk of 100 Thieves played Phoenix on all five maps of the Stage 2 final against LOUD. NRG's opening playoff opponent is T1, setting up a high-stakes clash between two top-seeded teams with title aspirations.
