Valorant's 2026 season has been defined by new winners. At Masters Santiago in March, Nongshim RedForce of the Pacific League completed a dominant run, sweeping Paper Rex 3-0 in the $1 million grand final to take the title and $350,000. According to Field Level Media's recap, RedForce lost only one map across the entire event, beating Gentle Mates, G2 Esports and NRG before blanking Paper Rex 13-11 on Corrode, 13-4 on Split and 13-3 on Abyss.
In July, 100 Thieves ended a long trophy drought by winning the Valorant event at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh, defeating NRG 3-1 in the grand final — an upset over the team they met in the biggest matches of the year, per the EWC's official report. Combined with the two new Masters champions, the results point to a shift in the competitive order entering Champions Shanghai.
Why it matters to viewers: championship points from these events shape seeding and qualification pressure across the four International Leagues. With Shanghai still to come, both results frame the narratives around the world championship — whether the Pacific region's momentum (RedForce's win) or the Americas' revival (100 Thieves) carries into the main event. The VCT itself framed 2026 as a year where expectations broke.
Match facts from Field Level Media (Masters Santiago, March 2026) and esportsworldcup.com (EWC Valorant final, July 12, 2026); current as of September 14, 2026.