Istanbul has a new chapter in its Valorant story, and this time it was written in Shanghai. LOUD beat Team Vitality 3-1 in the grand final of Champions 2026, adding a second world title for the Brazilian organization and closing out one of the most competitive playoff runs the Valorant esports scene has seen in years.
An upper-bracket run with few wobbles
LOUD took the straightest road to the final. They swept Paper Rex 2-0 in the upper quarterfinals, edged NRG 2-1 in the semifinals, and then outlasted Vitality 2-1 in the upper final. That last series mattered more than the scoreline suggests: it sent the French side into the lower bracket and handed LOUD a rest day and a scouting advantage before the decider.
Vitality did not fade, though. They beat Nongshim RedForce 2-1, swept G2 Esports 2-0, and after the upper-final loss they came back to defeat 100 Thieves 3-1 in the lower final. That set up a rematch just days after the two teams had traded blows, and it gave the final real tension.
The lower bracket produced the surprises
If the top of the bracket followed the script, the bottom did not. 100 Thieves, one of the tournament’s most discussed stories, knocked out NRG 2-0 and then beat G2 2-1 to reach the lower final, ending G2’s hopes of a deep run. T1 also stayed alive for a while, beating Paper Rex 2-1 in the lower bracket before G2 stopped them. After that exit, Munchkin hinted that retirement could be on his mind, a reminder of how emotional elimination can be at this level.
Why it matters for bettors
For anyone following odds, Champions Shanghai was a lesson in how fast form changes inside a double-elimination bracket. Teams coming from the lower side often arrive with momentum, yet the upper-bracket finalist gets days of preparation, and that trade-off is hard for bookmakers to price. If you plan to back an event like this, check the terms before you claim anything, and our guide to welcome bonuses explains what rollover and minimum odds usually mean. Players who prefer to test a site first can also read up on no-deposit offers.
What comes next: VCT 2027
The off-season starts quickly. Riot has confirmed that VCT 2027 will visit 15 cities, with the Kickoff Qualifiers beginning in November 2026, and VCT EMEA has already announced its qualifier format for Europe, Türkiye and MENA. Roster moves will follow, and the pressure on integrity is growing too: NAVI’s ardiis recently warned that cheating could damage the scene if it is not stopped.
For now, though, the headline belongs to LOUD. They arrived as one of the favorites, handled the pressure through the upper bracket and finished the job against a Vitality team that refused to go away. Expect the Brazilian champions to open 2027 as a team everyone else has to beat.
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