Eight teams enter VALORANT Champions Shanghai title race

VALORANT Champions Shanghai moves into its playoff phase on October 7, following a group stage held from September 24 to October 4 at Jing’an Sports Center in Shanghai.

The transition marks the start of the event’s highest-stakes matches, with eight teams advancing to a double-elimination bracket. The completed playoff field reflects a strong run for the Americas and three Pacific qualifiers.

Americas lead regional picture

According to Inven Global, all four Americas teams and three Pacific teams survived the group stage. Paper Rex, T1 and Nongshim RedForce advanced from Pacific, while Team Vitality was the only EMEA representative to progress; all four teams from China’s CN region were eliminated.

100 Thieves reached the playoffs without dropping a map, while Paper Rex went undefeated in Group C after 2-1 wins over Team Liquid and G2. Nongshim also made the bracket in its Champions debut, following its Masters Santiago 2026 victory and runner-up finish at VCT Pacific Finals Busan.

The regional split follows a difficult group stage for the host region and a strong showing from the Americas. The Americas’ path through qualification set up a four-team playoff presence, while Pacific will carry three teams into the next phase.

Opening matches and title stakes

The first playoff fixtures include two matches on October 7, with Nongshim RedForce and Team Vitality meeting the following day. The tournament uses a double-elimination format.

• October 7: T1 vs NRG
• October 7: Paper Rex vs LOUD
• October 8: Nongshim RedForce vs Team Vitality

NRG advanced from Group D with a 2-0 record and is 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, and its teams lost only five of 22 maps in this group stage.

EDward Gaming, the 2024 champion, was among the teams eliminated after failing to win a map. Pacific, meanwhile, is still seeking its first Champions title; its best previous result was Paper Rex’s runner-up finish in 2023.

What’s next?

T1 earned its playoff place by beating FUT Esports 2-0 in the group-stage decider, with both maps ending 13-10. Inven Global reported that iZu made crucial plays in key moments of the series.

The opening fixtures set up an immediate test for the Pacific teams, with T1 facing defending champion NRG and Paper Rex meeting LOUD on October 7. Nongshim RedForce follows against Team Vitality on October 8 as the bracket begins to shape the title race. Champions Shanghai’s schedule and format frame the wider tournament road ahead.