Francis on Nongshim’s playoffs defeat: “We had the mentality that we could win”

Nongshim RedForce’s VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Pacific Stage 2 playoff run started with a tough 2-0 loss to TALON. Speaking after the match, Kim "Francis" Mu-bin discussed the team’s mindset, leadership shifts, and growth since Stage 1, while keeping hopes alive for Champions qualification.

Parts of this interview were translated from Korean using AI, while other parts were taken from the official translator provided to us.

A Painful Defeat to TALON

After the tough loss, Francis didn’t hide his disappointment. Reflecting on the match, he admitted, "I thought I could win this time, but I lost, so it’s a shame."

The second map on the new map Corrode was especially heartbreaking. Nongshim held a lead but let it slip away in overtime.

“We had the mentality that we could win the match, but it didn’t turn out how we expected.”

VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Pacific Stage 2

TALON

2

X

0

Nongshim RedForce

Upper Bracket Quarter Final, Best of 3 - August 13, 2025 - 8:00AM

13

Lotus

5

16

Corrode

14

TALON

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

thyy

1.29

256

39/33/13

+6

1.18

70.0%

149.1

32%

31%

4

9

Primmie

1.25

247

45/29/9

+16

1.55

76.1%

156.2

38%

67%

8

4

Killua

1.21

214

38/32/20

+6

1.19

75.6%

147.9

41%

67%

6

3

Crws

0.88

167

26/26/19

0

1.00

74.4%

110.6

18%

78%

7

2

JitBoyS

0.85

157

30/27/12

+3

1.11

78.9%

109.8

32%

100%

4

0

Nongshim RedForce

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Persia

0.84

167

32/31/12

+1

1.03

61.1%

123.0

39%

22%

2

7

Ivy

0.84

188

31/36/6

-5

0.86

61.1%

114.6

25%

50%

2

2

Francis

0.84

171

28/37/18

-9

0.76

63.9%

108.2

25%

30%

3

7

Dambi

0.82

187

29/39/11

-10

0.74

69.4%

117.8

37%

43%

6

8

Rb

0.67

148

27/35/6

-8

0.77

53.9%

111.0

30%

50%

5

5

Mental Pressure and Playoff Stakes

Beyond the match itself, the playoffs carried additional weight. With their playoffs spot helping them in avoiding relegation, Nongshim still faces the possibility of having to play in Ascension next year if they fail to qualify for Champions.

Francis acknowledged that the thought lingers: “Of course, that adds a little pressure, but I always strive to win over that kind of pressure and play as myself.”

A Leadership Shift and Turnaround in Stage 2

Nongshim’s resurgence in Stage 2 after a shaky Stage 1 was no accident. The arrival of veteran Goo "Rb" Sang-Min and new coach Sungmin played a key role.

“We were able to learn a lot about and fix our problems and mistakes within our fundamentals,” Francis explained. That focus on fundamentals helped the team find consistency and confidence entering the playoffs.

Interestingly, Rb began Stage 2 as the team’s IGL, but Francis eventually took over the role. “I dug into the opponent’s weaknesses,” he said when asked about his leadership style. He also explained that their leadership differences go beyond just mid-round calls. According to him, the differences in ideologies do not create conflict, but instead promote collaboration.

“Of course, due to the different kinds of styles, we also have different thoughts about how we want to play out the whole match, the whole map... Even though we have a different style, we share the same context as well as the mindset and what we want to do within the game.”

This shared vision helps them blend strategies. Whenever either player holds the IGL role, they make it a point to exchange ideas, consider each other’s opinions, and cooperate until they settle on a unified game plan. This synergy has allowed Nongshim to adapt effectively to different situations and opponents.

Facing Korea’s Finest

Nongshim now also sits among South Korea’s top VALORANT teams competing with the big boys. These matchups offer valuable lessons. “They have a lot of experience, so their playstyle is very solid,” Francis noted, when asked about playing against T1 and DRX, who are now well-established in VCT Pacific. It’s a benchmark that continues to push Nongshim to elevate its own gameplay.

A Lighthearted Ending

We closed the interview on a light note. When asked about a “Francis in France” meme shown during the broadcast, Francis admitted he hadn’t seen it: “If I see this meme later, and I find it interesting, I’ll do a re-creation of it.” It was a brief moment of humor to close out an otherwise serious reflection.

Nongshim RedForce are not out of the playoffs just yet. They still have one final chance in the lower bracket. They will face the other first-time playoff team DetonatioN FocusMe. With Champions qualification still possible, Francis and his team will aim to turn the lessons from this defeat into fuel for the battles ahead.

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Featured Image Source: Riot Games