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Americas Dominates VALORANT Champions 2026 Top Four and Secures Grand Final Spot
The Americas is guaranteed another appearance in the VALORANT Champions 2026 Grand Final. With three teams among the final four at the VALORANT world championship, the region has secured at least one spot in the title match, scheduled for October 18 in Shanghai, China.
LOUD, G2 Esports, and 100 Thieves are still in contention, while Team Vitality is the only remaining team from outside the Americas. This guarantees the region a representative in four of the six Champions Grand Finals since the tournament began in 2021.
Three Americas Teams Reach the Champions 2026 Top Four
The Americas had already made history during the Champions 2026 group stage. For the first time since the introduction of the international VCT leagues in 2023, all four VCT Americas representatives advanced to the Champions playoffs.
LOUD, NRG, G2 Esports, and 100 Thieves accounted for half of the eight-team playoff field. Three of those teams have now made it into the final four.
Defending world champions NRG became the first Americas team to exit the tournament, falling 2-0 to 100 Thieves in a lower bracket elimination match on Sunday, October 11.
LOUD will now face Team Vitality in the upper bracket final, while G2 Esports and 100 Thieves meet in an elimination series. Vitality will still have one more chance to reach the Grand Final through the lower bracket if it loses to LOUD.
If Vitality is eliminated, Champions 2026 will feature an all-Americas Grand Final, repeating the 2022 matchup between LOUD and OpTic Gaming.
Americas Secures Fourth VALORANT Champions Final Appearance in Six Years
In 2022, LOUD and OpTic Gaming met in the first Champions Grand Final featuring two teams from the Americas. The Brazilian squad won the series 3-1 to claim its first world title.
The region went on to win two more championships, with Evil Geniuses taking the title in 2023 and NRG lifting the trophy in 2025. That gives the Americas three titles across the five completed editions, including three of the last four.
Here is the complete history of VALORANT Champions Grand Finals:
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Acend (EMEA) | Gambit Esports (EMEA) | 3-2 |
| 2022 | LOUD (Americas) | OpTic Gaming (Americas) | 3-1 |
| 2023 | Evil Geniuses (Americas) | Paper Rex (Pacific) | 3-1 |
| 2024 | EDward Gaming (China) | Team Heretics (EMEA) | 3-2 |
| 2025 | NRG (Americas) | Fnatic (EMEA) | 3-2 |
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
The VCT Americas league was established in 2023. For earlier editions, teams are classified by their geographic origin, including Brazilian and North American organizations that competed under the previous VCT format.
When Are the Next VALORANT Champions 2026 Matches?
VALORANT Champions 2026 resumes on Friday, October 16, with LOUD vs. Team Vitality in the upper bracket final at 2 AM ET / 8 AM CEST, followed by G2 Esports vs. 100 Thieves in the lower bracket at 5 AM ET / 11 AM CEST.
The lower bracket final takes place on Saturday, October 17, at 3 AM ET / 9 AM CEST, determining the second Grand Finalist. The VALORANT Champions 2026 Grand Final is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, at 2 AM ET / 8 AM CEST, when the next world champion will be crowned.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
Read more:
Defending World Champions NRG Eliminated from Champions 2026
LOUD Defeat Reigning World Champions NRG to Secure Top 3 at VALORANT Champions 2026
Paper Rex Eliminated from Champions Shanghai after Tragic Collapse
