VCT Shanghai Takeover: Americas vs. everyone else (and they’re winning)

Ahsan Kabir Published October 16, 2026

The VALORANT Champions 2026 playoffs have taken an interesting turn as the tournament moves closer to its final matches. All four teams from the Americas made it to the playoff stage, and three remain in contention for the title as of October 12. On the other hand, the Pacific has lost all their competitors, while Team Vitality appears to be the only surviving team from EMEA.

With such a wide margin separating the two regions, there is one particular question that comes to mind: what made the Americas teams excel?

Strong performances when it matters most

Image Credits: Valorant Esports

A key reason for the region’s strong showing is their ability to bounce back after tough losses. G2 Esports lost 0-2 against 100 Thieves on October 8 but managed to recover by winning against T1 by 2-1 on October 11.

Another example of a good-form team was 100 Thieves. The team lost to G2 Esports but went on to win against Nongshim RedForce 2-1 and later eliminated NRG with a score of 2-0.

Previously, 100 Thieves took down NRG in important matches like the Esports World Cup final and VCT Americas Stage 2 Upper Bracket final. Thus, this means that their achievements are not just a mere coincidence.

These results show that the Americas have several teams that can win important matches and recover from defeats.

Why Pacific failed to keep up

Pacific had three teams that qualified for the playoffs: Paper Rex, T1, and Nongshim RedForce. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it to the final four stage.

Paper Rex was defeated by LOUD in the playoffs and later got knocked out agaisnt T1 with a 1-2 in the lower bracket. Nongshim RedForce was knocked out after losing to Team Vitality and 100 Thieves. T1 was Pacific’s last hope but they also lost 1-2 against G2 on October 11.

What makes Pacific’s early exit surprising is their dominant track record earlier in the season – Nongshim RedForce won Masters Santiago, while Paper Rex reached the Grand Final.

It is not because of a lack of talent or strategy but because the teams had trouble keeping up with Champions 2026. After the T1 defeat, Pacific lost all of its teams in the tournament, whereas the Americas still had three teams competing for the title.

Team Vitality keeps EMEA alive

Image Credits: Valorant Esports

However, EMEA’s hope of winning the tournament now depends on Team Vitality, which has won both of its games against Nongshim RedForce 2-1 and G2 Esports 2-0 in the Upper Semifinal round.

The success of Vitality proves that Americans still have a lot of competition from other countries. This team will now play against LOUD in the Upper Final round, and the winner will qualify for the Grand Final round.

Meanwhile, China lost to all four teams during the group stage and failed to send any team to the playoffs.

Can the Americas turn their advantage into a title?

The Americas’ greatest advantage entering finals weekend is pure strength in numbers. LOUD commands a spot in the Upper Bracket Final behind stellar star performances from lukxo, while 100 Thieves and G2 Esports set up an all-Americas lower-bracket knockout clash.

With three teams active, the Americas are guaranteed at least one spot in the Grand Final. The real test is whether LOUD, 100T, or G2 can convert this regional dominance into a Champions trophy lift at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on October 18. Follow the remaining bracket action through our VALORANT live section.

Featured image credit: Riot Games