LOUD and Vitality reach Valorant Champions Shanghai upper final as NRG and G2 drop to lower bracket

LOUD and Team Vitality have booked the two places in the upper final of Valorant Champions 2026 in Shanghai. On Saturday 10 October, the Brazilian side beat defending champions NRG 2-1, and Vitality beat G2 Esports 2-0 in the evening's second series. Both winners are now guaranteed a top-three finish. NRG and G2 drop into the lower bracket, where one more defeat ends their season.

LOUD win the decider on Summit

LOUD had the better of the opening map, Haven, building a 9-3 lead at half-time and closing it out 13-9. NRG hit back on Sunset, which was level 6-6 at the break before the North Americans pulled away to win 13-10. Skuba played a big part in that second-half recovery.

The decider was one-sided. LOUD went into half-time on Summit 11-1 up and won the map 13-3. According to VLR.gg, lukxo finished the series with 63 kills while playing Chamber, and erde added 50 kills and 23 assists, including a near one-versus-four clutch on Summit. This upper semi-final follows LOUD's 2-0 quarter-final win over Paper Rex, which knocked the Singapore-based side into the lower bracket.

Vitality close out G2 in two maps

The second semi-final, at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, was also settled in straight maps. Vitality took Abyss 13-11 in regulation after holding off a G2 comeback late in the map. They then dominated Split, winning 13-4.

The EMEA side's line-up of Jamppi, PROFEK, Derke, Chronicle and Sayonara has now won both of its playoff series. In the quarter-finals they beat Nongshim RedForce 2-1. G2, who opened the playoffs by sweeping 100 Thieves, now have to go through the lower bracket.

Lower bracket on Sunday, upper final on Friday

The lower bracket's second round is played on Sunday 11 October. Shanghai and Malaysia are both on UTC+8, so the local start times are also the Malaysia times:

• NRG vs 100 Thieves, scheduled for 5pm Malaysia time
• G2 Esports vs T1, scheduled for 8pm Malaysia time

Both series are best-of-three, and the losers are out. 100 Thieves and T1 got through Lower Round 1 on 9 October: 100 Thieves beat Nongshim RedForce 2-1, and T1 came from behind to eliminate Paper Rex 2-1.

The upper final between Vitality and LOUD is scheduled for Friday 16 October at 2pm Malaysia time. Lower Round 3 follows at 5pm that day. The lower final is on Saturday 17 October and the grand final on Sunday 18 October, both in the afternoon Malaysia time according to the official schedule.

A rematch from the group stage

Vitality and LOUD have already met at this event. Vitality won 2-0 when the teams played in the Group B winners' match on 30 September. LOUD have since come through the group-stage decider and won two playoff series, so the upper final should be a closer test.

The prize pool is US$2.25 million. The winner takes US$1 million, second place earns US$400,000 and third place US$250,000.

Key takeaways

• LOUD beat NRG 2-1 (Haven 13-9, Sunset 10-13, Summit 13-3) to reach the upper final.
• Team Vitality beat G2 Esports 2-0 (Abyss 13-11, Split 13-4).
• NRG play 100 Thieves and G2 play T1 in elimination matches on Sunday 11 October.
• Vitality vs LOUD in the upper final is set for Friday 16 October at 2pm Malaysia time.
• The grand final is on Sunday 18 October, and the champion receives US$1 million.

FAQ

Who is left in the upper bracket at Valorant Champions 2026? LOUD and Team Vitality. They meet in the upper final, and the winner goes straight to the grand final.

Which teams have already been eliminated from the playoffs? Paper Rex and Nongshim RedForce went out in Lower Round 1 on 9 October. The losers of Sunday's NRG vs 100 Thieves and G2 vs T1 series will join them.

When is the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final in Malaysia time? It is scheduled for Sunday 18 October in Shanghai, which shares UTC+8 with Malaysia. The official schedule lists it for 2pm local time.

Sources: VLR.gg, Hotspawn, Sheep Esports, Fragster