NS Francis: “We are not perfect yet, but I deeply believe we can figure it out and win Champions”

For the Pacific region, the VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai Playoffs opening matches have been nothing short of a nightmare. All three representatives have been sent to the Lower Bracket, with Nongshim RedForce falling against Team Vitality.

In an intense series that went down to the wire, the Korean organization came within touching distance of victory, but couldn't find the strength to close out the final map in overtime against the tournament's last remaining European representative.

In a post-match interview with THESPIKE, Kim "Francis" Mu-bin reflected on what went wrong, the team’s confidence and the technical issues they experienced during the Group Stage. Despite acknowledging that there is still plenty for the team to work on, the player remains confident in their ability to win another international event.

If they were to do so, they would make history, as no team has ever won both a Masters and Champions in the same year.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai

Team Vitality

2

X

1

Nongshim RedForce

Upper Bracket Quarter Final, Best of 3 - October 8, 2026 - 11:20AM

13

Split

8

4

Abyss

13

14

Haven

12

Team Vitality

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Sayonara

1.08

210

51/33/17

+18

1.55

77.1%

140.1

26%

50%

4

4

Derke

0.96

214

50/45/12

+5

1.11

70.6%

141.9

24%

39%

7

11

Chronicle

0.89

188

41/49/15

-8

0.84

64.3%

117.2

20%

64%

9

5

PROFEK

0.82

161

39/37/15

+2

1.05

71.6%

114.6

32%

50%

3

3

Jamppi

0.76

168

38/48/14

-10

0.79

62.9%

117.3

30%

41%

7

10

Nongshim RedForce

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Ivy

1.14

231

55/43/8

+12

1.28

74.7%

163.9

34%

80%

8

2

Francis

0.96

204

43/46/16

-3

0.93

71.8%

137.3

31%

56%

10

8

Dambi

0.88

195

41/50/15

-9

0.82

79.8%

127.0

25%

47%

9

10

Xross

0.85

158

35/38/15

-3

0.92

74.1%

104.0

30%

60%

3

2

Rb

0.74

134

33/42/15

-9

0.79

74.4%

84.8

29%

27%

3

8

The difference experience makes

For Francis, the last map was a rollercoaster of emotions, but in the end, experience made the difference, with Team Vitality boasting some of the most experienced players in the tournament.

THESPIKE: What do you think was the most difficult part of playing against Team Vitality today? Was there any moment where you felt like you couldn’t quite figure out what they were trying to do?

Francis: “There wasn’t anything specific like that. We were playing at a slow tempo, and we ended up getting caught up in it. There were also a lot of experienced players on their side, so I think that experience made a difference.”

According to Francis, the team faced several issues during the Group Stage, which they worked to address during the limited time they had to prepare for the Playoffs.

THESPIKE: You played against Team Vitality, who came off two strong wins in the Group Stage, while you had to take a slightly tougher path to qualify. What do you think you brought from the Group Stage that was important for this first Playoffs match?

Francis: "We identified the problems we had in the Group Stage and were able to solve them, which helped us make it to the Playoffs. I think if we tighten up our game, clean things up and learn from our mistakes, we have a really good chance of making a deep run here."

Short time to make a difference

Falling to the Lower Bracket also means that every series could be their last in the tournament. Every round matters, and a single mistake could cost them their place in the competition.

The best way to deal with the short time between matches is to put the emotions aside, analyze why things didn’t go our way, and think about how we could have done better. We are not perfect yet, but I deeply believe we can figure it out and win Champions here.

During the Group Stage, several technical issues affected the players' gameplay, leading to widespread complaints, with Francis among the more vocal players about the situation. However, ahead of the Playoffs, the player praised Riot Games for listening to their concerns, as everything ran smoothly during their opening series.

Tech issues and other difficulties are always going to be part of esports. I just felt that they shouldn’t have persisted throughout the tournament. Thankfully, everything has been resolved so far, and communication with Riot Games has been really good.

A dream come true

For Francis, playing at Champions had been a dream since his days in the lower divisions, making his appearance at the event a dream come true. The Korean player also thanked the fans for their unconditional support throughout the past couple of weeks, adding that his time in China has been a lot of fun.

THESPIKE: How would you describe your time in China and the experience of playing in front of the fans here, especially since this is your first tournament in the country?

The fans have been incredibly passionate, which really amazed me. Staying in China has been a lot of fun, and I’m really satisfied with my experience here.

VALORANT Champions 2026

Nongshim RedForce will return to the stage on October 9 to face 100 Thieves in an elimination match. The winner will keep their hopes of making a deep run all the way to the Grand Finals alive, while the loser will be eliminated from the tournament and head home.

VALORANT Champions 2026 runs from September 24 to October 18. As the final major international event of the year, it will bring the VCT season to a close in Shanghai, China.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games