"We were lacking" - Francis after Nongshim RedForce were eliminated from VCT Pacific 2026 Stage 1

The reigning VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026 champions, Nongshim RedForce, have been eliminated from VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 1 following a 2-1 defeat to KIWOOM DRX. In an exclusive post-match interview with THESPIKE, Kim "Francis" Mu-bin reflected on a tournament run that never quite found its footing.

A Rough Road Through Stage 1

Nongshim RedForce's journey through Stage 1 was a tale of inconsistency. The team stumbled out of the gate with two consecutive losses before finding their footing and clawing back with two wins, a brief resurgence that hinted at the quality that had carried them to glory in Santiago. However, the momentum could not be sustained, and a string of poor performances ultimately sealed their fate.

Reflecting on the stage, Francis expressed his disappointment while acknowledging the team's shortcomings:

"We started with two losses and it was bad for us, but we managed to find two wins as well. In the end, we were not able to make it to higher places, and with today's elimination, it feels bad that we could only put out negative performances."

The Shadow of Santiago

Much of the conversation around Nongshim's decline has centered on whether the Yoru nerf that came in the aftermath of their Masters Santiago triumph disrupted the team's signature style. At Santiago, the Yoru-Neon duelist pairing was at the core of their identity, and with both agents receiving nerfs in quick succession, the team found themselves scrambling to adapt to a shifting meta. Francis acknowledged the challenge but was keen not to lean on excuses:

"After Santiago, the Yoru-Neon meta was very clear for us. As the meta changed after the patch, it's a fact that we didn't have enough time to adjust. But if I say that, it sounds too much like an excuse—we just needed to prepare better and we were lacking."

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 1

KIWOOM DRX

2

X

1

Nongshim RedForce

Lower Bracket Round 1 of 4, Best of 3 - May 9, 2026 - 11:35AM

11

Pearl

13

13

Split

6

13

Haven

9

KIWOOM DRX

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

HYUNMIN

1.32

262

61/44/13

+17

1.39

80.1%

177.0

29%

82%

14

3

MaKo

1.14

210

46/37/32

+9

1.24

84.8%

128.2

23%

54%

7

6

free1ng

1.03

205

49/40/13

+9

1.23

86.2%

136.1

22%

50%

4

4

BeYN

1.03

174

39/42/35

-3

0.93

84.6%

104.3

33%

33%

4

8

Yong

0.96

197

47/39/14

+8

1.21

76.7%

139.2

30%

40%

6

9

Nongshim RedForce

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Dambi

1.06

216

48/56/25

-8

0.86

72.4%

145.3

21%

47%

9

10

Francis

0.95

212

46/56/15

-10

0.82

61.3%

131.5

13%

57%

13

10

Rb

0.93

161

38/38/27

0

1.00

73.4%

96.9

19%

33%

1

2

Ivy

0.76

157

38/44/9

-6

0.86

66.9%

105.9

24%

50%

6

6

Xross

0.71

154

32/48/21

-16

0.67

68.9%

109.2

24%

13%

1

7

A New Meta on the Horizon

With Neon's nerf now officially confirmed for the next patch and shotguns also facing across-the-board nerfs, the meta is on the verge of another significant shift. Francis welcomed both changes, noting that the nerfs were deserved and that the evolving landscape would make for a more exciting game to both play and watch.

"Shotguns had to be nerfed, and with the nerf being as significant as it is, I think it's going to make for a much more fun game."

Eyes on Stage 2

While Nongshim's Stage 1 ends in disappointment, the team will now look ahead to Stage 2, which introduces a notable format change as tier-2 teams from the Challengers circuit will be joining the playoffs. Francis, who came up through the tier-2 circuit himself, was enthusiastic about the development, calling it a positive step for the ecosystem.

When asked about which tier-2 team he had his eye on, Francis pointed to one team in particular:

"I've been watching ONSIDE GAMING, who won the Korean Challenger League recently. It's going to be really fun to watch them."

For Nongshim RedForce, Stage 1 will serve as a sobering reminder that even with a Masters title, Pacific still humbles the best of players. With the meta reset approaching and Stage 2 on the horizon, the team will be hoping to rediscover the form that made them champions.

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 Source: Riot Games