In the upper bracket quarter-finals of the Valorant Champions 2026 tournament in Shanghai, G2 and Vitality secured crucial victories. G2 unexpectedly swept 100 Thieves (2-0), while Vitality outlasted Nongshim RedForce in a tense struggle. The winners will now join NRG and LOUD in the upper bracket, with 100T and Nongshim continuing their run in the lower bracket alongside Paper Rex and T1.
In the first match, G2 took a convincing revenge on 100 Thieves, shedding their reputation as a team that falters on the international stage. While 100 Thieves approached the matchup riding a wave of success after winning the EWC and VCT Americas Stage 2, G2 had to overcome their own fears of failure. On their map pick, Abyss, G2 demolished the heavy favorites 13-5, thanks to brilliant performances by Nathan "leaf" Orf and Trent "trent" Cairns. The second map, Ascent, proved to be much closer, but G2 kept their composure in crucial clutches to close out the series 13-11 in their favor.
In the parallel matchup, Vitality had to adapt to overcome Nongshim RedForce. The series between the last VCT Pacific team and the sole remaining VCT EMEA representative began on Split. Despite a strong start from Nongshim, Vitality began to dominate on defense and secured a 13-6 victory, heavily driven by Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev's performance. On the second map, Abyss, the Korean squad completely seized the initiative, allowing Vitality only four rounds and playing a flawless second half to close the game at 13-4.
The fate of the match was decided on Haven, where the tension reached its peak. After the first half, Nongshim led 7-5, but Vitality had a successful start on their attack. Nongshim responded with aggressive plays across all positions to equalize the score. At a critical moment, Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen won a crucial 1v1 clutch, yet Nongshim managed to push the game into overtime. Ultimately, Derke's experience secured match point for Vitality, and a display of individual brilliance from Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov put the final nail in the coffin for this series.
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