The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) has reached its all-important VCT Stage 2, the determining split for Valorant Champions Shanghai 2026.
Following a dramatic Esports World Cup victory for 100T, Insider Gaming looks at the results from VCT Stage 2 so far to get a picture of how the regional splits are shaping up.
Top teams start strong VCT Americas Stage 2
- Leviatán 2-1 FURIA
- Sentinels 2-1 Cloud9
- Evil Genuises 2-0 ENVY
- LOUD 2-1 KRÜ Esports
- 100T 2-1 G2
- NRG 2-1 MIBR
Fresh off their London Masters triumph, Leviatán will be looking to back up their international success with a domestic title, and they started that path successfully with a win over regional rivals FURIA.
100T will feel the same way after their breakthrough EWC 2026 victory. Asuna told Insider Gaming after the win, “I feel like it’s a dam, and now that we’ve broken the first floodgate, we’ll just keep going.” They kept up that promise, defeating the domestically dominant G2 roster to start VCT Americas Stage 2 with a win.
NRG, runners-up in Paris, also backed up their international form by outlasting an MIBR who collapsed after leading the series 1-0, while 10-2 up on Map 2 of Breeze. MIBR won only five more rounds in the entire contest to slip to a 13-9, 11-13, 4-13 defeat to NRG’s experienced roster.
Elsewhere, Sentinels won despite playing with a stand-in due to Amine ‘johnqt’ Ouarid requiring an emergency appendectomy. Another harrowing defeat for Cloud9, but seemingly not one johnqt loved to watch either, as he posted his stress at watching his team play.
VCT EMEA Stage 2 provides an unclear picture
- FUT 2-0 NAVI
- Eternal Fire 2-0 Liquid
- Fnatic 2-0 GIANTX
- Gentle Mates 2-1 PCIFIC
- Karmine Corp 2-0 Eternal Fire
- Vitality 2-1 NAVI
- FUT 2-0 Gentle Mates
- Liquid 2-0 Team Heretics
- Karmine Corp 2-0 GIANTX
- BBL 2-0 Vitality
Of the teams to play two matches in Week 1 of VCT EMEA Stage 2, only Karmine Corp remain undefeated, but only GIANTX suffered two losses.
A total of six teams sit on a 1-1 record, including some of the pre-split favorites, Vitality and FUT. Even KC’s 2-0 start was somewhat of a surprise; however, EWC qualifiers did show the roster’s potential, and PCIFIC and GIANTX will be among their easier opposition.
Overall, the picture is unclear, but there are positive signs for Fnatic and NAVI after roster changes, and worrying signs for Heretics after defeat to Liquid followed a tepid exit from EWC.
Paper Rex & Nongshim RedForce fall on VCT Pacific return
- Gen.G 2-0 ZETA Division
- VARREL 2-1 Team Secret
- Full Sense 2-1 Nongshim RedForce
- DRX 2-1 DetonatioN FocusMe
- Global Esports 2-0 Rex Regum Qeon
- T1 2-1 Paper Rex
- Gen.G 2-1 Nongshim RedForce
- Team Secret 2-0 DRX
Paper Rex has gone into every event they have played this year as favorites, but after two Masters events and EWC, they are yet to bag an international title in 2026.
After an opening loss to T1, it will be interesting to see if anything in Paper Rex’s psychology is suffering after a year that has recreated Fnatic’s 2025 in being so close yet so far.
Shockingly, Masters Santiago winners and EWC third-placed team, Nongshim RedForce, start VCT Pacific Stage 2 with a 0-2 record after losses to Full Sense and Gen.G.
Folks at Polymarket still give Nongshim a 91% chance to make Champions, as the team sits second in VCT Points standings behind the already qualified Paper Rex, but they will not have much time to find their form again if the split is not to end prematurely for them.
VCT China Stage 2 Playoff picture taking shape
- Wolves 0-2 All Gamers
- Titan 2-1 XLG
- FPX 2-0 JDG
- TYLOO 2-1 EDG
- BLG 2-1 All Gamers
- XLG 2-0 DRG
- NOVA 2-1 JDG
- TYLOO 2-1 FPX
- EDG 2-0 Trace
- BLG 2-1 Titan
- XLG 2-0 All Gamers
- NOVA 2-1 Titan
- Wolves 2-1 DRG
- EDG 2-0 JDG
VCT China Stage 2 is well underway, having already concluded Week 2 of the tournament, as Week 1 was played concurrently with the Esports World Cup.
As such, the playoff picture is already taking shape after Week 2 in China, with TYLOO guaranteeing their playoff berth with a 4-0 record so far in Group Alpha.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, with NOVA, EDG, XLG, and BLG amongst those in contention for those top two spots.
No teams will leave the competition after the group stage. The 3rd-placed teams advance to the play-ins Round 2, with the bonus of a loss meaning they go to the lower-bracket quarter-finals.
The 4th-5th place teams will advance to the play-ins Round 2, but a loss simply puts them in the lower-bracket Round 1. Titan Esports is already condemned to start in Play-ins Round 1 as they are guaranteed last in Group Omega.
Most importantly, EDward Gaming have guaranteed their place at Valorant Champions 2026 due to match wins, meaning they have an unassailable VCT Points position, returning the Valorant Champions 2024 winners to Valorant’s biggest tournament.
Can 100T take their momentum all the way to Valorant Champions? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Additionally, see our interview with 100T’s Asuna, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter!
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
More from Darragh Harbinson
Comments