G2 and Nongshim Reach Valorant Champions Playoffs as Liquid's Group-Stage Curse Continues

Six of the eight playoff places at Valorant Champions Shanghai are now filled. G2 Esports and Nongshim RedForce won their group deciders on Saturday, 3 October, and the last two spots will be settled tonight Malaysian time.

For Malaysian fans, the main story is still Paper Rex. Malaysian star Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee and the Pacific side won Group C with wins over Team Liquid and G2, so they are already through to the playoffs, which start on 7 October at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

G2 knock out Team Liquid 2-0

G2 lost to Paper Rex earlier in the week. In Saturday's Group C decider they beat Team Liquid 2-0, taking Split 13-10 and Abyss 13-7, according to VLR.gg.

trent and valyn led the way for G2, with 42 and 36 kills across the two maps. Kicks was Liquid's best player with 35 kills, but it was not enough. Liquid finish the group 1-2. VLR.gg pointed out that this is a familiar finish for the organisation, which keeps falling at the group stage of big international events.

Nongshim fight back against Karmine Corp

The Group D decider went to three maps. Karmine Corp took Sunset 13-9. Nongshim RedForce then won Summit 13-5 and Haven 13-6 to go through.

Dambi was the key player on Haven, finishing 26/13/9 with a 1.88 rating, and he also had 17 kills on Summit. SUYGETSU and N4RRATE both had over 20 kills for KC on Sunset, but the French side's tournament is over.

Nongshim are a big name coming in. They won Masters Santiago and finished third at the Esports World Cup 2026. Karmine Corp were playing their first international event since Masters Madrid 2024.

Who is through so far

• Group A: 100 Thieves (winners)
• Group B: Team Vitality (winners)
• Group C: Paper Rex (winners), G2 Esports (decider winners)
• Group D: NRG (winners), Nongshim RedForce (decider winners)

Already out: TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming, EDward Gaming, JD Gaming, Team Liquid and Karmine Corp.

Today's deciders (Sunday, 4 October)

The group stage finishes today with two more deciders:

• LOUD vs Global Esports at about 5pm Malaysian time
• FUT Esports vs T1 at about 8pm Malaysian time

The winners take the last two playoff places. That makes these deciders important for the Pacific region. Global Esports and T1 are both Pacific teams, and either one could join Paper Rex in the eight-team bracket.

What comes next

The playoffs are an eight-team double-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three except the lower bracket final and grand final, which are best-of-five. The event runs from 7 to 18 October, with the grand final on 18 October. The prize pool is US$2.25 million, and the winners take US$1 million.

China is hosting Valorant Champions for the first time. The hosts have already lost all four of their teams, so a lot of the local attention will now go to the international sides left in the draw.

Key takeaways

• G2 beat Team Liquid 2-0 (13-10 Split, 13-7 Abyss) and go through from Group C with Paper Rex.
• Nongshim RedForce came back to beat Karmine Corp 2-1 and go through from Group D with NRG.
• LOUD vs Global Esports and FUT vs T1 decide the last two playoff spots tonight.
• Paper Rex and Malaysia's d4v41 start their playoff run from 7 October in Shanghai.

FAQ

Has Paper Rex qualified for the Valorant Champions playoffs? Yes. Paper Rex won Group C after beating Team Liquid 2-1 and G2 Esports 2-1, so they went straight to the playoffs.

When do the Valorant Champions 2026 playoffs start? The playoffs start on 7 October at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. The grand final is on 18 October.

How much prize money is on offer? The total prize pool is US$2.25 million, and the champions get US$1 million.

Sources: VLR.gg, esports.gg