The Most Anticipated Opening Matches at VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai lands in Shanghai on 24 September, two years on from the city hosting Masters, and with considerably more on the line this time around. The season closes where the last stretch of it has been building, in front of a Chinese crowd that has spent the year watching its region claw back international respect.

The opening round pits two Champions winners against each other for the first time on this stage, sends the reigning world champions back into the team that knocked them down the lower bracket in Santiago, and hands a Champions debutant a matchup with unfinished business from Paris.

LOUD vs EDward Gaming

LOUD made an electric Stage 2 run to qualify for Champions, powered by a passionate home crowd during the top four stage in Sao Paulo. But what is waiting for them on the other side of the ocean is a crowd just as passionate as the Brazilian one, except favouring their opening opponents. EDward Gaming are the crown jewel of Chinese VALORANT.

It will also be interesting to see whether the young South American squad can replicate their domestic playstyle on the international stage. EDG on the other hand have been in the server for a couple of weeks with new pickup Park "stew" Young-chan, so they will be able to test some of those new ideas against a fresh LOUD side.

Furthermore, LOUD vs EDG marks the first time two Champions winners have faced off against each other on the Champions stage, despite LOUD having long since moved on from the same five players as their 2022 roster.

Nongshim RedForce vs NRG

The Santiago champions Nongshim RedForce made a resurgence after a disappointing Stage 1, with the squad firing up to secure a grand final position in Stage 2. A return to the global stage to see more of duelist duo Kim "Francis" Mu-bin and Lee "Dambi" Hyuk-kyu is long awaited, especially with an opening match against the current world champions NRG.

NRG arrive in Shanghai with a title to defend, so an opening matchup victory is crucial to get the ball rolling. Despite attending every international tournament this year, the world champs have had their ups and downs this season, notably missing out on playoffs at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters London 2026. Since then, the team has had their fair share of rest and reps, showing gradual improvement in Stage 2 as they look to secure the back to back in Shanghai.

The last time these two squads faced off against each other was at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026 in the upper bracket final, where Nongshim squeezed NRG down to the lower bracket to face elimination to Paper Rex. NRG will be looking to return the favour on 25 September.

Karmine Corp vs Xi Lai Gaming

Xi Lai Gaming made quite the story in London, having levelled up in the playoffs to cause one of the biggest upsets of the tournament against G2 Esports and capturing hearts worldwide in the process. The Chinese squad will be looking to continue such momentum on the international stage in front of a home crowd, similar to EDG. Yet the other side of XLG's opening match features Karmine Corp, another team that has made quite a stir in the past couple of months.

The French powerhouse organisation arrives at VALORANT Champions for the first time with a rallying fanbase behind it. As EMEA's first seed, KC look to carry their Stage 2 title run into Shanghai, a turnaround made even more impressive considering the squad went 0-5 in Stage 1. A key component of such success was the addition of Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey, who returned to Karmine Corp in March, and whose appearance at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions with Sentinels was cut short by the very same XLG squad. This year, the American has a chance to close a loop that has been open since Paris.

A clash between KC's loose and exciting style against a fearless XLG is set to absolutely deliver as an opening matchup.

Tune in from 24 September to watch how the biggest event of the season all unfolds. In a format this unforgiving, with an opening loss leading to an elimination game, Shanghai will decide plenty in its first few days.

For everything VALORANT related, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.