G2 and Vitality reach Valorant Champions Shanghai upper semis as Paper Rex face T1 elimination match

The upper-bracket semi-finals at Valorant Champions 2026 in Shanghai are now set. G2 Esports swept 100 Thieves and Team Vitality won an overtime decider against Nongshim RedForce on Thursday, 8 October. They join defending champions NRG and Brazil's LOUD, who won their quarter-finals on Wednesday. For Southeast Asian fans the focus now moves to the lower bracket, where Singapore's Paper Rex play T1 on Friday evening and the loser is out.

G2 end 100 Thieves' winning run

G2 controlled the first map, their own pick Abyss, and won it 13-5. Nathan "leaf" Orf and Trent "trent" Cairns both posted strong numbers on that map. Ascent, picked by 100 Thieves, was much tighter. G2 won it 13-11 to close out a 2-0 series.

According to VLR.gg, it was the first defeat for 100 Thieves since early August. They topped Group A in Shanghai without dropping a series, but they now need to survive in the lower bracket.

Vitality survive Nongshim in overtime

The second quarter-final went the full three maps. Vitality trailed 7-5 at half-time on Split before taking over in the second half to win 13-8. Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev led the team on that map with 283 ACS.

Nongshim RedForce hit back on Abyss. They won the opening pistol round and took the map 13-4, with Ivy among their best players.

Haven decided the series. Vitality again trailed 7-5 at the break, and the score was tied at 11-11 late in regulation. Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen won a key one-on-one after the spike was planted, and Derke's Operator play helped Vitality pull ahead in overtime. Vitality took the map 14-12 and kept Europe's hopes alive in the upper bracket.

Paper Rex in an elimination match tonight

Paper Rex dropped into the lower bracket on Wednesday when LOUD swept them, 13-9 on Split and 15-13 in overtime on Sunset. NRG beat T1 2-0 in the other quarter-final that day.

That sets up an all-Pacific elimination match. Paper Rex vs T1 starts at 5pm Malaysia time on Friday, 9 October. Shanghai is in the same time zone as Malaysia, so the times below need no conversion. The two teams know each other well from VCT Pacific, where they have met three times this year. 100 Thieves and Nongshim RedForce then play the second lower-bracket opening match at 8pm. Both series are best-of-three, and both losers are eliminated.

At the time of writing on Friday morning, neither match had started.

Schedule for the rest of the weekend (Malaysia time)

• Saturday, 10 October: NRG vs LOUD at 5pm, G2 vs Vitality at 8pm (upper semi-finals)
• Sunday, 11 October: two lower-bracket round two matches at 5pm and 8pm
• Friday, 16 October: upper final and lower round three
• Saturday, 17 October: lower final (best-of-five)
• Sunday, 18 October: grand final (best-of-five) at 2pm

The event has a US$2.25 million prize pool, with US$1 million going to the champions. Group games and early playoffs are at the Jing'an Sports Center. The finals move to the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong. NRG are trying to become the first team to win back-to-back Champions titles. No Chinese team is left in the event.

Key takeaways

• G2 beat 100 Thieves 2-0 (Abyss 13-5, Ascent 13-11) to reach the upper semi-finals.
• Vitality beat Nongshim RedForce 2-1, taking Haven 14-12 in overtime.
• Upper semi-finals on Saturday: NRG vs LOUD and G2 vs Vitality.
• Paper Rex face T1 at 5pm MYT on Friday, and the loser is eliminated.

FAQ

What time is Paper Rex vs T1 in Malaysia? It starts at 5pm on Friday, 9 October. Shanghai and Malaysia are both on UTC+8.

Who plays in the Valorant Champions 2026 upper semi-finals? NRG play LOUD, and G2 Esports play Team Vitality, on Saturday, 10 October.

When is the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final? It is on Sunday, 18 October, at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, starting at 2pm Malaysia time.

Sources: VLR.gg, Insider Gaming, Fragster, esports.gg