T1 knock Paper Rex out of Valorant Champions Shanghai with Summit comeback as 100 Thieves end Nongshim's run

Paper Rex's Valorant Champions 2026 campaign is over. T1 beat the Singapore-based side 2-1 in the first round of the lower bracket in Shanghai on Friday, winning the deciding map on Summit 13-11 after trailing 10-3. In the other lower-bracket match, 100 Thieves beat Korea's Nongshim RedForce 2-1. Both losing teams finish joint seventh to eighth. This follows yesterday's preview of the elimination match.

How T1 turned Summit around

T1, who had dropped into the lower bracket after a 2-0 loss to NRG, took Lotus 13-7. Meteor, Munchkin and BuZz led the way, and T1 were 8-4 up at half-time. Paper Rex hit straight back on Ascent. Adrian "invy" Reyes opened the map with an ace, and Ilya "something" Petrov and Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto helped close it out 13-6.

The decider looked to be going Paper Rex's way. They led 9-3 at half-time on Summit and went 10-3 up after the switch. T1 then won the gun rounds that mattered and took ten of the last eleven rounds to win 13-11. iZu led the comeback and was named series MVP, with a 290 average combat score.

A familiar problem for Paper Rex

The defeat continues a pattern from this event. Paper Rex topped their group by beating Team Liquid and G2 Esports, both 2-1, and went straight into the playoffs. In the upper quarter-final against LOUD, they led at half-time on both maps but lost Split 13-9 and Sunset 15-13 in overtime. Against T1, a seven-round lead on the deciding map was not enough.

There is a Malaysian interest too. Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee has been with Paper Rex since 2021, and Insider Gaming reports that his contract runs out at the end of 2026. The same applies to something, f0rsakeN and Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie, with only invy tied down for 2027. The team won Masters Toronto in 2025 and finished runners-up at Masters Santiago and Masters London this year, so this offseason will be watched closely across Southeast Asia.

100 Thieves end Nongshim's run

The second lower-bracket match also went the distance. 100 Thieves took Split 13-5, Nongshim RedForce levelled on Sunset 13-9, and the Americans dominated the deciding map, winning Ascent 13-1. Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban was named series MVP. 100 Thieves had dropped into the lower bracket after a 2-0 defeat to G2 Esports in the upper quarter-finals.

What's next in Shanghai (Malaysia time)

Shanghai is in the same time zone as Malaysia, so the times below are local for fans here too.

• Today, Saturday 10 October: NRG vs LOUD at 5pm, then G2 Esports vs Team Vitality at 8pm. These are the upper-bracket semi-finals.
• Sunday 11 October: T1 face the loser of NRG vs LOUD. 100 Thieves face the loser of G2 vs Vitality. Both are lower-bracket elimination matches.
• Friday 16 October: Upper final at 2pm.
• Saturday 17 October: Lower final at 3pm.
• Sunday 18 October: Grand final at 2pm.

All matches are streamed on the official VCT channels on Twitch and YouTube.

Key takeaways

• T1 beat Paper Rex 2-1 (13-7, 6-13, 13-11) and recovered from 10-3 down on Summit.
• Paper Rex finish joint seventh to eighth after losing leads against both LOUD and T1.
• Malaysia's d4v41 is one of four Paper Rex players whose contracts reportedly expire this year.
• 100 Thieves beat Nongshim RedForce 2-1, and won the decider 13-1 on Ascent.
• The upper semi-finals are today at 5pm and 8pm Malaysia time.

FAQ

Who knocked Paper Rex out of Valorant Champions 2026? T1 beat them 2-1 in the first round of the lower bracket on Friday, 9 October. T1 won the deciding map on Summit 13-11.

Who are T1 playing next? T1 play the loser of today's NRG vs LOUD upper semi-final on Sunday, 11 October. The loser of that match is eliminated.

When is the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final? The grand final is on Sunday, 18 October, at 2pm Malaysia time, in Shanghai.

Sources: Fragster, Insider Gaming, Sheep Esports, VLR.gg