Tier 2 strikes again as ONSIDE eliminates Team Secret from Stage 2

The Tier 2 teams' upsets continue, this time in VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 2. Team Secret has officially played their last match of the 2026 season after being eliminated by VCL team ONSIDE GAMING. With no playoff spot and not enough Championship Points, Team Secret’s chance at a Champions ticket is gone.

ONSIDE beating the odds

One Tier 2 team has made headlines in the Pacific after today's matches. ONSIDE Gaming joined the VCL in 2025 and has since them won both VCL 2026 - Korea: Split 1 and VCL 2026 - Korea: Split 2. After dominating the Korean league, they're now searching for success in VCT Stage 2.

Their first VCT appearance started rough with a 0-2 loss against KIWOOM DRX. However, they found their spark again against TS. Not only did they beat the Tier 1 team, but they did so in dominant 2-0 fashion. On the second and final map, Split, ONSIDE's Duelist player Jung "Xiesta" Si-hwan dropped a 30-bomb against the VCT team, putting Team Secret's name in the grave.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 2

Team Secret

0

X

2

ONSIDE GAMING

Lower Bracket Round 2 of 6, Best of 3 - August 19, 2026 - 8:00AM

11

Ascent

13

10

Split

13

Team Secret

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Sylvan

1.26

221

41/30/16

+11

1.37

78.8%

144.3

33%

50%

2

2

KellyS

0.99

207

35/35/11

0

1.00

70.0%

135.3

17%

20%

2

8

naTz

0.96

212

32/36/10

-4

0.89

68.0%

145.9

24%

71%

10

4

Zeus

0.95

199

31/33/13

-2

0.94

83.3%

133.1

30%

53%

8

7

STYRON

0.86

169

28/34/15

-6

0.82

76.4%

113.7

26%

50%

2

2

ONSIDE GAMING

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Xiesta

1.41

295

46/36/16

+10

1.28

79.0%

172.3

23%

60%

9

6

Wolverine

1.21

232

39/31/18

+8

1.26

74.5%

157.2

19%

43%

3

4

Hermes

0.99

175

34/31/10

+3

1.10

74.5%

108.3

24%

67%

4

2

Ray

0.81

175

26/37/17

-11

0.70

72.5%

108.7

18%

43%

6

8

Cloudy

0.70

142

23/32/10

-9

0.72

72.4%

91.0

34%

20%

1

4

Tier 2 taking over

For the first time in VCT history, Tier 2 teams are competing against Tier 1 teams in Stage 2 for a chance to qualify for Champions Shanghai. Their impact across the regions has varied, with some VCL teams taking down big names in one region while having little to no impact in others.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2 has been completely turned on its head, with three Tier 2 teams reaching the playoffs. Meanwhile, no Tier 2 team in VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Stage 2 has secured a victory so far.

With ONSIDE eliminating TS, they become the second Tier 2 team to find success in the Pacific. The first is Sharper Esport, who are already one match away from qualifying for the Playoffs after beating Rex Regum Qeon and DetonatioN FocusMe.

Team Secret going home

TS is now eliminated from Stage 2 and will go home without a ticket to Champions Shanghai. With that dream dead, TS will not have made a single international appearance throughout the 2026 season. With big names like Ko "Sylvan" Young-sub and Kelly Kent "KellyS" Sedillo on the roster, their Stage 2 run will be a major disappointment for fans.

For more VCT news, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.

Featured image source: Riot Games.