Priya Venkatesh has been following the money in esports since before brand deals were considered legitimate marketing. She got pulled into the scene through competitive fighting games and eventually found herself more interested in the contracts and partnerships behind the tournaments than the matches themselves. These days she focuses on how brands navigate esports sponsorships, where the smart money is going, and which deals are actually built to last versus the ones that look good in a press release.
G2 beat 100 Thieves 2-0 in the Valorant Champions 2026 Shanghai Upper Bracket quarter-finals, while Vitality survived a three-map series against Nongshim RedForce to advance. The results sent both winners on in the upper bracket and left 100 Thieves and Nongshim to continue in the lower bracket, according to Insider Gaming.
G2 took the opening map, Abyss, 13-5 on 100 Thieves’ pick. Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf finished with a 19/11/6 scoreline, while Trent ‘trent’ Cairns recorded 18/9/2 as G2 set the pace and secured a commanding start to the series.
The contest tightened on Ascent, but G2 held firm to win 13-11 and complete the sweep. The source report described the map as a test of composure: 100 Thieves created setbacks, yet G2 came through the close rounds and outclutched its opponent.
The result carried added weight after 100 Thieves had beaten G2 in VCT Americas Stage 2. The report also noted that 100 Thieves entered the matchup after winning EWC and that regional title, while G2 had struggled to reproduce its domestic form at international events. Its Shanghai run has offered a sharper response to that history; G2’s earlier Champions campaign provides further tournament context.
Vitality opened its series with a 13-6 win on Split after taking a 7-5 lead into the break. Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev posted 280 ACS on the defensive half as Vitality controlled the second half, conceding only one round.
Nongshim responded emphatically on Abyss, winning 13-4 after a flawless second half. The swing sent the quarter-final to Haven, where Nongshim again held the advantage at the interval, leading 7-5, before the teams reached a 9-9 tie.
Vitality had to recover after Nongshim pushed into the contest and forced overtime. Elias ‘Jamppi’ Olkkonen delivered a 1v1 clutch to put Vitality on map and series point; Nongshim then found a retake to extend the map. Derke helped set up another match point, and Timofey ‘Chronicle’ Khromov’s late individual play helped Vitality close out the series and reach the upper semi-final.
The quarter-finals reshaped both sides of the bracket. The source report listed G2, Vitality, NRG and LOUD in the upper bracket, with 100 Thieves, Nongshim RedForce, Paper Rex and T1 in the lower bracket. The Champions Shanghai playoff field shows the wider eight-team contest.
G2’s win stands out against the team’s prior difficulty carrying domestic performance onto the international stage. In Shanghai, it combined a decisive opening map with steadier play in the closer second map. Vitality’s route was less direct: after being heavily beaten on Abyss, it adjusted on Haven and finished the series in overtime.
Both outcomes leave the tournament’s double-elimination bracket in focus, where upper-bracket progress offers a route onward without immediate elimination. The Champions Shanghai format places the results within that structure. Vitality is confirmed through to the upper semi-final, while 100 Thieves and Nongshim have dropped into t…