The confetti rain in São Paulo ultimately belonged to 100 Thieves: The North American team defeated local favorites LOUD 3-2 in the VCT Americas Stage 2 Grand Final, securing the stage trophy. In front of their home crowd, LOUD narrowly lost the decisive match – yet, the weekend was a complete success for the Brazilians.
While 100 Thieves had already qualified directly for Valorant Champions 2026 in Shanghai a day earlier with a clear 2-0 victory against NRG, LOUD still had to fight hard for the last remaining spot. First, the team knocked out already qualified rivals G2 Esports from the tournament, followed by a victory against NRG in the Lower Final the next day. Only then did LOUD advance to the Grand Final against 100 Thieves, where, due to both teams having already secured their spots, it was merely about the trophy and stage prestige.
How Did the Grand Final Between 100 Thieves and LOUD Play Out?
The Grand Final was a true nail-biter: Both teams battled for the title across the full five maps before 100 Thieves narrowly prevailed 3-2. For the Los Angeles-based organization, this marks their second major success of the year, having already triumphed at the Esports World Cup 2026. Despite home advantage and a roaring fan base, LOUD came up empty on the decisive map – but the team's disappointment over the narrow Grand Final loss was visibly tempered, as their Champions slot was already secured by that point.
Why is LOUD's Champions Qualification a True Comeback Story?
For LOUD, returning to Valorant Champions is a big deal: The São Paulo-based organization, once one of the scene's biggest names with the 2022 Champions title, had failed to qualify for Champions in 2024 and 2025. It was only their journey through the Stage 2 Lower Bracket – with victories against two top teams already qualified for Shanghai – that brought the team back to the international stage. For fans in Brazil, traditionally among the loudest in the entire league, this is a genuine reason to celebrate after two lean years.
From our perspective, that's precisely the more exciting part of the story: A stage title is nice, but the return of a legacy team to the most important tournament of the season usually carries more weight for the community than a single final result.
At Valorant Champions 2026, held in Shanghai from September 24th to October 18th, 16 teams will compete for a prize pool of 2,250,000 US dollars. With 100 Thieves and LOUD, two of the strongest teams from North and South America, respectively, are now locked in – who will claim the remaining open spots will be decided in the coming weeks across the other regions.
What do you think: Does 100 Thieves have what it takes to win the title in Shanghai, or will LOUD emerge as a real threat as an underdog? Let us know in the comments!
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