◆Stories of Champions Shanghai◆
VALORANT Champions Paris Grand Finals

Title Defense

NRG are the reigning world champions. No team has ever repeated. Ethan is the first player to win Champions twice.

Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
5Over
Heat5
StateOver
Beats at Champions10
Next—

By the numbers

3–2NRG in Shanghai
7–5Maps
0 of 6Reigning champions who repeatedAcend, LOUD, EG, EDG, NRG in 2025 and NRG in 2026: nobody has gone back-to-backsource ↗

The cast

NRG
NRG
Ethan
EthanNRG
brawk
brawkNRG
keiko
keikoNRG

The arc

NowAcend, LOUD, Evil Geniuses, EDward Gaming, NRG. Nobody has gone back-to-back
Oct 11 · Episode 15
Result
100 Thieves100 Thieves
2–0Lower R2 · Bo3
NRGNRG

100 Thieves beat NRG 2–0

Sunset 14–12 in overtime, Haven 13–4. The reigning champions are out in 5th–6th, and no team has ever won Champions twice in a row. 100 Thieves, who beat NRG in the Esports World Cup final in August, play G2 in the lower semi on Oct 16.

100T2–0NRG
Sunset14–12▶Haven13–4▶
vlr.gg ▸
On stage
NRG react onstage after their loss during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Playoffs Day 5 at Jing’an Sports Center on October 10, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
The champions walk off

The champions walk off

Six reigning champions have come back to defend. None has made it past the lower bracket since. NRG finish 5th–6th.

100T2–0NRG
Sunset14–12▶Haven13–4▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Post
SKU
NRG skuba · @skubacs
chasing your dream looks amazing when you’re winning, it’s a lot harder to talk about when you’re not. a year full of 2nd, 3rd places, and early exits. so close yet so far. i can only be grateful for the opportunities i have been given and the support yall have showed me…
100T2–0NRG
Sunset14–12▶Haven13–4▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
NRG skuba · X ↗
On stage
Coach bonkar and Ethan of NRG react onstage during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Playoffs Day 5 at Jing’an Sports Center on October 10, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Yicun Liu/Riot Games)
Ethan and bonkar

Ethan and coach bonkar

The only player to win Champions twice leaves Shanghai without a third.

100T2–0NRG
Sunset14–12▶Haven13–4▶
vlr.gg ▸
Photo · Yicun Liu / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Stat
0 of 6Reigning champions who repeated

Acend, LOUD, Evil Geniuses, EDward Gaming, NRG. Nobody has gone back-to-back

NRG came closer than most: 3–0 in the groups, a map off LOUD, an overtime map off 100 Thieves. Still 5th–6th.

100T2–0NRG
Sunset14–12▶Haven13–4▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Via the Editor's Desk
Oct 10 · Episode 14
Result
LOUDLOUD
2–1Upper R2 · Bo3
NRGNRG

LOUD beat NRG 2–1

Haven 13–9 to LOUD, Sunset 13–10 to NRG, Summit 13–3 to LOUD. The sixteenth and last team into the field is in the upper final against Vitality on Oct 16. The champions drop to the lower bracket, where 100 Thieves on Oct 11 is one loss from the end of the defense.

LOUD2–1NRG
Haven13–9▶Sunset10–13▶Summit13–3▶
vlr.gg ▸
Post
ETH
NRG Ethan · @ethanarnold
Couldn’t get anything going on Summit :/ Time to reset for 100T tmrw 💪 GG’s @LOUDgg
LOUD2–1NRG
Haven13–9▶Sunset10–13▶Summit13–3▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
NRG Ethan · X ↗
Next up
Oct 11 · Lower bracket, two go home

100 Thieves vs NRG, then T1 vs G2 Esports

100 Thieves against NRG, a rematch of the Esports World Cup final, then T1 against G2. The loser of each goes home. The winners meet in the lower semi on Oct 16.

100T2–0NRG
Sunset14–12▶Haven13–4▶
vlr.gg ▸
Via the Editor's Desk
On stage
Ethan of NRG reacts onstage during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Playoffs Day 4 at Jing’an Sports Center on October 10, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Ethan, after Summit

Ethan, after Summit

The only two-time Champions winner is one loss from the end of the defense. 100 Thieves next.

LOUD2–1NRG
Haven13–9▶Sunset10–13▶Summit13–3▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Oct 9 · Episode 13
Next up
Oct 10 · Upper bracket, last four

LOUD vs NRG, then Team Vitality vs G2 Esports

LOUD against NRG, then Vitality against G2. The winners meet in the upper final on Oct 16. The losers drop to the lower bracket against 100 Thieves and T1 on Oct 11.

LOUD2–1NRG
Haven13–9▶Sunset10–13▶Summit13–3▶
vlr.gg ▸
Via the Editor's Desk
Oct 7 · Episode 11
Stat
6–1NRG’s maps in Shanghai

Three series, six maps won, one lost. The champions have dropped one map in three weeks

Karmine Corp took Ascent off them in the groups. Nobody else has taken anything. Two more series wins put them in a final.

NRG2–0T1
Lotus13–11▶Summit13–7▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Via the Editor's Desk
Oct 4 · Episode 10
Next up
Fans show their support during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Group Stage Day 10 at Jing’an Sports Center on October 04, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Oct 7 · The playoffs begin

NRG vs T1, then Paper Rex vs LOUD

Two dark days, then the upper bracket: the champions NRG against T1, and Paper Rex against LOUD. The loser of each drops to the lower bracket, where the next loss ends it.

NRG2–0T1
Lotus13–11▶Summit13–7▶
vlr.gg ▸
Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Sep 29 · Episode 5
Result
NRGNRG
2–1Group D · Winners · Bo3
Karmine CorpKarmine Corp

NRG beat Karmine Corp 2–1

Karmine Corp took Ascent 13–7. NRG answered on Summit 13–11 and Haven 13–9. The champions are through from the Group of Doom at 2–0; Karmine Corp play the decider on Oct 3 against the winner of Nongshim vs Xi Lai Gaming.

NRG2–1KC
Ascent7–13▶Summit13–11▶Haven13–9▶
vlr.gg ▸
Stat
2–0NRG in Shanghai

The reigning champions are the first team out of the Group of Doom

Two series, four maps won, one lost. The playoffs start Oct 7. No champion has ever won the title twice.

NRG2–1KC
Ascent7–13▶Summit13–11▶Haven13–9▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Via the Editor's Desk
On stage
Ethan of NRG reacts on stage during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Group Stage Day 5 at Jing’an Sports Center on September 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Ethan, 2–0

Ethan after the win

Back-to-back playoffs, as mada put it.

NRG2–1KC
Ascent7–13▶Summit13–11▶Haven13–9▶
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Sep 27 · Episode 4
Next up
Fans show their support outside the venue during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Group Stage Day 4 at Jing’an Sports Center on September 27, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Sep 29 · The winners’ matches

Paper Rex vs G2 Esports, then NRG vs Karmine Corp

A dark day first. Then Paper Rex against G2 for the first playoff spot from Group C, and the champions NRG against Karmine Corp for the first from Group D.

G21–2PRX
Split13–9Haven11–13Lotus9–13
vlr.gg ▸
Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Sep 25 · Episode 2
Result
NRGNRG
2–0Group D · Opening · Bo3
Nongshim RedForceNongshim RedForce

NRG beats Nongshim RedForce 2–0

Lotus 13–5, then Split 13–10. The reigning champions are 1–0 and play Karmine Corp in the Group D winners’ match on Sept 29. Nongshim, nineteen days after losing the Pacific final from 2–0 up, drop to the elimination match against Xi Lai Gaming.

NRG2–0NS
Lotus13–5Split13–10
vlr.gg ▸
On stage
(L-R) mada, brawk and keiko of NRG reacts onstage after their victory during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Group Stage Day 2 at Jing’an Sports Center on September 25, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
The champions, 1–0

mada, brawk and keiko after the win

No team has ever repeated. The first step took two maps.

NRG2–0NS
Lotus13–5Split13–10
vlr.gg ▸
StorylinesTitle Defense
Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Sep 24 · Episode 1
Next up
Fans in the audience show their support during VALORANT Champions Shanghai Group Stage Day 1 at Jing’an Sports Center on September 24, 2026 in Shanghai, China (Photo by Yicun Liu/Riot Games)
Sep 25 · Group D opens

Nongshim RedForce vs NRG, then Karmine Corp vs Xi Lai Gaming

Nongshim RedForce against the champions NRG, then Karmine Corp against Xi Lai Gaming. Four teams, one group, the one nobody wanted.

NRG2–0NS
Lotus13–5Split13–10
vlr.gg ▸
Photo · Yicun Liu / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
Sep 23 · The story so far
Rewind
PARIS, FRANCE - (L-R) mada, Ethan, and s0m of NRG raise the trophy after winning the VALORANT Champions Paris Grand Finals at Accor Arena on October 5, 2025 in Paris, France (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Title Defense

Only 3.9% of Pick'em entries chose NRG in Paris. They won it 3–2 after Fnatic led 11–1 on Abyss

brawk was MVP. Ethan became the first player to win Champions twice. Since then: 3rd in Santiago, reverse-swept out of London, and beaten by 100 Thieves and LOUD in the same week.

Photo · Colin Young-Wolff / Riot GamesFlickr ↗
2026-09-07Drawn into Group D with Karmine Corp, Nongshim and Xi Lai. The community calls it the group of doom. ↗
2026-09-06Americas Stage 2: 3rd. Lost 0–2 to 100T and 2–3 to LOUD. Qualified on points. ↗
2026-08-15Esports World Cup: runner-up, 1–3 to 100 Thieves. ↗
2026-06-21Masters London: 9–10th. Reverse-swept by FUT in the Swiss stage. ↗
2026-03-15Masters Santiago: 3rd. Swept 0–2 by Nongshim in the upper final.
2025-11-12s0m retires. keiko joins from Team Liquid. ↗
2025-10-05Win Champions Paris 3–2 over Fnatic after an 11–1 to 15–13 comeback on Abyss. brawk MVP. Only 3.9% of Pick'em entries chose them. ↗