Karmine Corp and Team Liquid punch their tickets to VALORANT Champions Shanghai

All EMEA spots at VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 have now been filled with the additions of Karmine Corp and Team Liquid. By taking down FUT Esports, KC qualified to Champions for the first time in their history and will join FUT, Team Liquid, and Team Vitality on the international stage in September.

Dominated FUT

FUT and KC faced off in the Upper Final of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2, with a spot in the Grand Final on the line. While FUT had already qualified for Champions Shanghai through Championship Points, there was still a lot at stake for KC.

They brought everything they had to the match and quickly put FUT in their place on the first map, Lotus. With Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey on Chamber finishing with a 25/11 K/D, KC didn't give FUT a chance. Lotus ended 13-6, and next up was Haven.

As Haven started better for FUT, it looked like it would be a closer match. However, KC took over on defense, converting the bonus round and dropping just one round against their opponents. KC stole Haven and the series with a 13-8 scoreline.

With this win, KC has won four matches in a row, having only lost to one team in all of Stage 2: Fnatic in the Group Stage.

First ever VALORANT Champions appearance

This is KC’s first-ever qualification for VALORANT Champions in their three years in the VCT. They have only attended two international VCT events previously: VCT 2023 - LOCK//IN and VCT 2024 - Masters Madrid.

Not only is this a debut for the organization at the biggest event of the year, but it is also a first for several of the players. The only two players on the squad who have made a Champions appearance before are N4RRATE and Dmitrii "SUYGETSU" Iliushin. The other three players, Burak "LêwN" Alkan, Dastan "dos9" Zhumagali, and Hazem "avez" Khaled, have never played on an international VCT stage.

Liquid's fourth Champions

Liquid also earned their spot among the world's top teams after besting Fire Flux Esports 2-0. Although the final score might make it look like Team Liquid took the match convincingly, that was far from the truth.

Fire Flux fought tooth and nail to stay in the competition. The two maps played out in very similar fashion, with Liquid taking a commanding 10-2 lead in the first half before Fire Flux fought back and brought each map to a 13-10 scoreline.

In the end, Liquid's experience prevailed, and they punched their ticket to Champs.

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Featured image source: Hara Amorós/Riot Games