Global Esports won VCT Pacific 2026 Stage 2 after defeating Nongshim RedForce 3–2 in the grand final. The victory completed a lower-bracket recovery for GE and secured the organization's first Pacific league title, as well as the region's first seed for VALORANT Champions Shanghai.
The final was decided on September 6 in Busan. Global Esports fell behind 0–2 in the best-of-five series, then won three maps in a row to complete the reverse sweep. Nongshim RedForce finished runner-up after previously beating GE in the upper final.
How Global Esports reached the title
GE finished the Group Alpha regular season with a 3–2 record, behind undefeated Gen.G. The official VCT standings show that the team did not dominate every phase of the event, but its playoff run improved when the stakes were highest.
Global Esports recorded playoff wins over Kiwoom DRX and VARREL before losing 1–2 to Nongshim RedForce in the upper final. Dropping to the lower bracket left GE with no room for another defeat. A 3–1 win over T1 earned the rematch, and GE then turned the grand final around after surrendering the first two maps.
Nongshim RedForce and the final standings
Nongshim RedForce entered the playoffs from a more difficult regular season position, having finished Group Alpha at 2–3. Its run to the grand final included the upper-final victory over GE, but it could not close the rematch after taking the initial lead.
T1 placed third after losing the lower final to Global Esports, while VARREL finished fourth. Those placements reflect the playoff bracket rather than the group standings: VARREL had topped Group Omega at 4–1, ahead of Paper Rex, T1 and DetonatioN FocusMe.
What happened to Paper Rex?
Paper Rex ended the Group Omega stage at 3–2 and finished the event in the 5th–6th range. The team was not undefeated: VARREL led the group, and the completed standings show a tightly contested field in which PRX, T1 and DFM all finished with three wins.
Paper Rex nevertheless entered Stage 2 with its international position already strengthened and became the first team confirmed for VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026. Stage 2 determined regional seeding and the remaining Pacific qualification picture rather than erasing points and results accumulated earlier in the season.
Why the result mattered for Global Esports
The championship represented a breakthrough for an organization that had spent several seasons trying to establish itself among the Pacific league's regular title contenders. Winning after an upper-final loss also demonstrated that the team could adapt within a short playoff turnaround.
Correction: an earlier version claimed Paper Rex were undefeated in the group stage and the clear title favorite. The official standings do not support that statement, and it has been removed.
Sources: official VCT Pacific Stage 2 standings and brackets, plus the official grand-final broadcast published through VALORANT Esports channels.