Vitality beat 100 Thieves 3-1 to set up Valorant Champions Shanghai grand final rematch with LOUD

Team Vitality are one series away from a first Valorant world title after beating 100 Thieves 3-1 in the lower bracket final of Valorant Champions Shanghai on Saturday, 17 October. The European side recovered from a heavy loss on the opening map to win the next three, booking a grand final rematch with LOUD, the team that beat them in the upper bracket final only a day earlier. This follows on from the earlier report of LOUD's 2-1 upper final win over Vitality and 100 Thieves' elimination of G2.

A rough start on Split

The series began badly for Vitality. Split was their own map pick, yet 100 Thieves ran away with it 13-5. Timotino was the standout on his Neon, finishing the map with 22 kills and the highest combat score on the server, and for a while it looked as if the North American side would carry their momentum from the G2 win straight into the final.

Vitality reset quickly. Summit was close throughout, but they edged it 13-10 to level the series, with Chronicle leading the scoreboard on Neon and rookie Sayonara chipping in 20 kills, including a 1v2 clutch late in the first half.

Sayonara takes over

Lotus was the swing map. Vitality held on for a 13-11 win, and Sayonara was again at the centre of it with 24 kills on Chamber. The Moldovan newcomer has been one of the stories of Vitality's run in Shanghai, and he finished the series as the team's leading fragger with 70 kills across the four maps.

On Ascent, 100 Thieves pushed hard to force a decider, with Cryocells and Timotino producing several big rounds. A clever Sage wall lurk from Jamppi through mid in the second half helped Vitality open up an 11-8 lead, and they closed the map 13-9 to end the series.

Rematch with LOUD

The result sets up a third meeting between Vitality and LOUD at this event. Vitality won the first, in the group stage, before LOUD hit back with a 2-1 upper final win on Friday, 16 October. In that series Vitality took Lotus 13-8 before LOUD replied with wins on Summit (13-5) and Haven (13-11).

LOUD, world champions in 2022 with a different roster, are back in a Champions grand final for the first time in four years. Vitality, whose lineup features Chronicle, Derke, PROFEK, Jamppi and Sayonara, are chasing the organisation's first international Valorant trophy.

The best-of-five grand final was scheduled for 2pm Malaysia time on Sunday, 18 October, at the playoff venue in Shanghai. Because Vitality came through the lower bracket and LOUD did not, there is no bracket advantage to make up: one series decides the title.

100 Thieves bow out with heads high

For 100 Thieves, the defeat ends a strong run that included wins over Nongshim RedForce and G2. They finish in the top three at Champions, and players such as Timotino and Cryocells showed they can trade with the best in the world on the biggest stage.

Key takeaways

• Vitality beat 100 Thieves 3-1 (5-13 Split, 13-10 Summit, 13-11 Lotus, 13-9 Ascent) in the lower final on 17 October.
• Sayonara led Vitality with 70 kills across the series.
• Vitality face LOUD again in a best-of-five grand final, scheduled for 2pm Malaysia time on 18 October.
• LOUD beat Vitality 2-1 in the upper final, while Vitality won their group-stage meeting.

FAQ

Who did Vitality beat to reach the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final? They beat 100 Thieves 3-1 in the lower bracket final on Saturday, 17 October.

When is the Valorant Champions Shanghai grand final in Malaysia time? The LOUD versus Vitality grand final was scheduled to begin at 2pm Malaysia time on Sunday, 18 October.

Have LOUD won Valorant Champions before? Yes. LOUD won the world title in 2022, although with a different roster from the one in Shanghai.

Sources: Sheep Esports, VLR.gg, THESPIKE.GG, Liga Game