THESPIKE.GG’s VALORANT Champions Shanghai Pick'Ems Guide: Playoff Stage

The Group Stage at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai is officially over, and it delivered great narratives, heart-breaking eliminations, and plenty of expected results. Now, it’s time for Playoffs, and the competition is as stacked as ever.

Unsure which teams will go deep in the tournament? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here at THESPIKE, we have combined our expertise in an attempt to create the most accurate Pick’Ems for the Playoff Stage. Here’s who we’ve picked to win, and why.

Remember to lock your predictions before the final stage of the VALORANT Champions Shanghai Pick'Ems challenge closes on October 7, at 2:10 am PT!

VALORANT Champions 2026 Pick'Ems Guide: Playoffs

Opening Matchups Predictions

The first round of games play a pivotal role in the playoffs Pick'Ems challenge, determining what the rest of the bracket will look like. To better guide your selections, this is how we expect the opening round of matches of play out:

• G2 Esports vs 100 Thieves:
  • Now that they have nothing to lose, G2 Esports finally look in their best form. However, 100 Thieves' fundamentals and team play looked amazing until now; that's why they didn’t drop a single map in Group A. Given what the team showed at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Stage 2, we think 100 Thieves should win against G2.

• Team Vitality vs Nongshim RedForce:
  • Team Vitality finally look like the team that was promised us at the start of the year. The EMEA fourth seed is the only team from their region that made it out of Groups, and what a showing it was after coming away with a clean 2-0. Nongshim RedForce on the other hand, looked rather shaky until their series against Karmine Corp. For those reasons, we think Team Vitality has stronger current form and more experience, so we expect them to beat Nongshim.

• NRG vs T1:
  • T1 are the weakest team coming into the Playoff Stage, as they struggled against Xi Lai Gaming and didn’t look great against FUT Esports either. NRG, on the other hand, are in their best form, having escaped the group of death with a clean 2-0 win. With T1 in poor form and the reigning World Champions looking great, we expect NRG to advance to the next match flawlessly.

• Paper Rex vs LOUD:
  • This is the most exciting and unpredictable match out of the opening round. Paper Rex have looked very good in Bo3s so far, taking down Team Liquid and G2 Esports 2-1. However, LOUD stands in their way, and their form is absolutely amazing. The Brazilian team looks unstoppable when they can snowball, but if they can’t, problems start to show. Paper Rex is an experienced team that has gone through different metas and playstyles, and this is why we think they have the upper hand coming into the matchup and will beat LOUD in a close series.

Full Playoffs Bracket Prediction

As the tournament goes deeper, it gets harder to predict what could happen, but many expect 100T to reach the Grand Final and win the whole event. We, too, share that opinion. Their current form is just great, and they look like a team with little-to-no weak points.

A similar thing can be said about Paper Rex: when it comes to international events, they are always the team to look out for, and from what we’ve seen so far, it’s not hard to imagine them going through until the Grand Final, even though it would be heartbreaking to see them lose again right in front of the trophy.

Teams like Team Vitality, LOUD, and NRG could contest those top spots, and we wouldn’t be surprised if one of them reaches the later stages of the tournament. Vitality and NRG’s experience could be a crucial factor at this stage, but LOUD’s explosiveness could also give any team a few problems.

T1 doesn't look good enough to contest a game against any team at this point in the tournament, while Nongshim is a bit of a question mark since their first part of Champions has looked very unstable.

All in all, this seems like one of the most likely ways the playoffs bracket at VALORANT Champions Shanghai may play out. When the competition is this fierce, though, just about anything can happen.

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 Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games