VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff: Complete Guide to Schedule, Teams, Format, Results, and Standings
- Saswata Mondal
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
Image Credit: Riot Games
The VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff marked the explosive start to the Valorant Champions Tour season in the Pacific region, bringing together 12 elite teams in a high-stakes triple-elimination battle at Seoul's iconic Sangam Colosseum.
Running from January 22 to February 15, 2026, this S-Tier offline event showcased intense competition, record-breaking viewership, and breakout performances that set the tone for the year. Whether you're a die-hard Valorant esports fan or new to the scene, this comprehensive breakdown covers everything about the VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff, from format and teams to full results, highlights, and what comes next.
TL;DR: VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff Key Takeaways
Champion: Nongshim RedForce (undefeated, 4 CP, Masters qualified)
Runners-up: T1 (2nd, 3 CP), Paper Rex (3rd, 2 CP)
4th: Rex Regum Qeon (1 CP)
Format: Triple-elimination bracket, Best of 3/Best of 5
Viewership Peak: 486k (PRX vs. GE)
Next: Masters Santiago (late Feb), VCT Pacific Stage 1 groups drawn
Watch VODs: VCT Pacific YouTube | Twitch VODs
VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff Format Explained
The VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff adopted a groundbreaking triple-elimination bracket, giving teams three "lives" before elimination. This format ensures more matches (reducing downtime) and dramatic comebacks, a shift from previous double-elim setups.
Bracket Structure
Upper Bracket: For undefeated (0-loss) teams.
Middle Bracket: For 1-loss teams.
Lower Bracket: For 2-loss teams.
Elimination: After 3 losses.
Match Formats:
Round | Format |
All matches except finals | Best of 3 (Bo3) |
Upper Final, Middle Final, Lower Final | Best of 5 (Bo5) |
Qualification & Points:
1st: 4 Pacific Points + Masters Santiago
2nd: 3 Points + Masters Santiago
3rd: 2 Points + Masters Santiago
4th: 1 Point
5th-12th: 0 Points
Top 4 from Champions 2025 got byes into Upper Bracket Round 2.
For a visual breakdown, check the full bracket on Liquipedia.
Teams in the VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff
Team | Country/Region | Notes |
Nongshim RedForce | South Korea | Partner |
T1 | South Korea | Partner |
Paper Rex | Singapore | Partner |
Rex Regum Qeon | Indonesia | Partner |
DetonatioN FocusMe | Japan | Partner |
DRX | South Korea | Partner |
FULL SENSE | Thailand | Partner (replaced TALON) |
Global Esports | India | Partner |
ZETA DIVISION | Japan | Partner |
Gen.G Esports | South Korea | Partner |
Team Secret | Philippines | Ascension 2nd |
VARREL | Japan | Ascension 1st |
VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff Schedule and Full Results
The event spanned nearly a month, with matches streamed on VCT Pacific YouTube and Twitch. Here's a day-by-day recap of key results.
Upper Bracket Highlights
Round 1 (Jan 22-23): Nongshim RedForce 2-0 Team Secret, FULL SENSE 2-0 ZETA DIVISION, Global Esports 2-0 VARREL, DFM 2-0 Gen.G.
Quarterfinals (Jan 24-25): Nongshim 2-1 T1, FULL SENSE 2-1 DRX, PRX 2-1 Global,
RRQ 2-0 DFM.
Semifinals (Jan 31): Nongshim 2-0 FULL SENSE, RRQ 2-0 PRX.
Final (Feb 13, Bo5): Nongshim RedForce 3-2 Rex Regum Qeon (MVP: Xross) – NSG goes undefeated!
Middle Bracket Highlights
Round 1 (Jan 29-30): DFM 2-0 Team Secret, Global 2-0 ZETA, DRX 2-1 VARREL, T1 2-1 Gen.G.
Round 2 (Feb 1): DFM 2-1 Global, T1 2-0 DRX.
Quarterfinals (Feb 6): DFM 2-1 FULL SENSE, T1 2-1 PRX.
Semifinal (Feb 13, Bo3): T1 2-0 DFM.
Final (Feb 14, Bo5): T1 3-0 Rex Regum Qeon.
Lower Bracket Highlights
Round 1 (Feb 5): ZETA 2-1 Team Secret, Gen.G 2-1 VARREL.
Round 2 (Feb 7): DRX 2-1 ZETA, Global 2-1 Gen.G.
Round 3 (Feb 8): DRX 2-0 FULL SENSE, PRX 2-1 Global.
Quarterfinals (Feb 12): PRX 2-1 DRX.
Semifinal (Feb 14): PRX 2-0 DFM.
Final (Feb 15, Best of 5): Paper Rex 3-1 Rex Regum Qeon (MVP: f0rsakeN).
No Grand Final: As the Upper Bracket winner (Nongshim) remained undefeated, they secured 1st place directly.
Full schedule and VODs: Official VALORANT Esports Schedule.
Final Standings: VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff
Place | Team | Points | Masters Qual? |
1st | Nongshim RedForce | 4 | Yes |
2nd | T1 | 3 | Yes |
3rd | Paper Rex | 2 | Yes |
4th | Rex Regum Qeon | 1 | No |
5th | DetonatioN FocusMe | 0 | No |
6th | DRX | 0 | No |
7th-8th | FULL SENSE | 0 | No |
7th-8th | Global Esports | 0 | No |
9th-10th | ZETA DIVISION | 0 | No |
9th-10th | Gen.G Esports | 0 | No |
11th-12th | Team Secret | 0 | No |
11th-12th | VARREL | 0 | No |
Top Performers and MVPs
Standout MVPs (multiple): d4v41 (PRX), Dambi (NSG), f0rsakeN (PRX), iZu (T1), Meteor (T1), etc. Nongshim's Xross clutched the Upper Final.
Viewership and Highlights
Peak Viewers: 486k (PRX vs. Global)
Hours Watched: 18.9M (Pacific record)
Key Moments: NSG's undefeated run in their 2nd VCT event; PRX's lower bracket gauntlet; T1's mid bracket dominance.
Watch highlights on VCT Pacific YouTube.
What's Next After VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff?
Qualified teams: Nongshim RedForce, T1, Paper Rex head to Masters Santiago
(Feb 28 - Mar 15, 2026) – expanded to 12 teams.
VCT Pacific Stage 1 (Apr 3 - May 17): 12 teams in 2 groups of 6, top 4 per group
to playoffs. Groups drawn post-Kickoff:
Group Alpha:
Paper Rex (3rd)
DRX (6th)
Global Esports (7-8th)
Gen.G (9-10th)
Team Secret (11-12th)
Group Omega:
T1 (2nd)
Rex Regum Qeon (4th)
DetonatioN FocusMe (5th)
FULL SENSE (7-8th)
ZETA DIVISION (9-10th)
VARREL (11-12th)
How to Watch VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff VODs, Highlights, and Replays?
Missed the action? Relive every clutch moment:
Full VODs: Official VCT Pacific YouTube Channel – Day-by-day playlists from
Jan 22-Feb 15.
Highlights: Liquipedia Match Pages for stats; VLR.gg Clips.
Bilibili Replays (Asia-focused): Search "VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff" for full event recaps.
Official Schedule Archive: VALORANT Esports Schedule – Timestamps and results.
The VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff delivered non-stop action—follow VLR.gg for stats and Liquipedia for brackets. What was your favorite moment? Let us know below!
Sources: Official VALORANT Esports, VLR.gg, Liquipedia, Escharts.
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