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LOUD Crowned VALORANT Champions 2026, Secures Historic Second World Title
18 Oct, 2026, 11:28
|Last updated: 18 Oct, 2026, 11:28
Four years after lifting their first trophy in Istanbul, Brazilian esports titan LOUD has returned to the pinnacle of global VALORANT. In a Grand Final at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, LOUD defeated European contender Team Vitality 3–1 to claim the VALORANT Champions 2026 trophy.
With this victory, LOUD cemented its place in esports history as the first organization to ever win the VALORANT Champions title twice.
The Path to Shanghai Glory
LOUD’s tournament run required overcoming the world's top teams. After advancing from the group stage, the squad navigated a challenging upper bracket. They staged dynamic comebacks to defeat Paper Rex 2–0 and subsequently knocked off reigning world champions NRG in a hard-fought 2–1 series.
Meeting Team Vitality in the upper bracket final, LOUD secured a 2–1 victory to earn their spot in the Grand Final. When the two sides met once again in the championship decider, LOUD’s relentless tempo and strategic execution proved decisive, closing out a 3–1 series victory.
A Complete Roster Transformation
LOUD’s victory in 2026 represents one of the most remarkable rebuilding stories in competitive esports. Following a challenging 2025 season in which the organization missed Champions entirely, LOUD completely restructured its roster.
Not a single starting player from the 2022 championship squad remained on the stage in Shanghai. Instead, LOUD fielded a young, international starting five featuring Brazilian talents Lucca "lukxo" Travaioli and Enzo "tkzin" Zimiani, Chilean in-game leader Roberto "erde" Lobos, Colombian player Sebastián "Darker" Castro Cicuamia, and Portuguese David "DaviH" Cruz.
With an average age of just over 20, this squad became the youngest team ever to reach and win a VALORANT Champions Grand Final.
Accolades and Historic Milestones
The triumph in Shanghai yielded an impressive collection of organizational, regional, and individual records:
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The First Two-Time Champions: LOUD stands as the sole organization in VALORANT history to win Champions twice.
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Tournament MVP Erde: 18-year-old Chilean IGL Roberto "erde" Lobos was named Tournament MVP and awarded the ceremonial MVP bracelet after leading his team with tactical precision throughout the event.
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Regional Milestones: David "DaviH" Cruz, Sebastián "Darker" Cicuamia, and Roberto "erde" Lobos became the first Portuguese, Colombian, and Chilean players, respectively, to lift the Champions trophy.
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Individual In-Game Records: During the tournament, tkzin became the first player in Champions history to record three aces in a single best-of-three series, while lukxo set a VCT record by securing five four-kill rounds in a single best-of-three match.
End of the 2026 Season
LOUD's victory at Champions 2026 stands as a testament to reinvention, strategic vision, and youthful excellence. By transforming from a struggling lineup into world champions in less than a year, this young roster did not only reclaim global dominance for Brazil but also established a benchmark of achievements that will endure in VALORANT history.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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