LOUD are VALORANT world champions for the second time. The Brazilian organization defeated Team Vitality 3-1 in the VALORANT Champions 2026 Grand Final on October 18, completing its Shanghai run at the Mercedes-Benz Arena and becoming the first organization to lift the Champions trophy twice.
Four years after LOUD’s 2022 triumph in Istanbul, a completely different lineup brought the title back to the organization. The final was anything but straightforward: Vitality built commanding early leads on multiple maps, but LOUD found its best form when the pressure was highest.
VALORANT Champions 2026 Grand Final – map scores
- Summit (LOUD pick): LOUD 13-11 Team Vitality
- Lotus (Vitality pick): Team Vitality 13-8 LOUD
- Sunset (LOUD pick): LOUD 13-5 Team Vitality
- Haven (Vitality pick): LOUD 13-10 Team Vitality
LOUD won the best-of-five 3-1, leaving the fifth map, Abyss, unplayed. LOUD had entered the final through the upper bracket and used its two-map ban advantage to remove Ascent and Split.
How LOUD turned the Grand Final around
Summit provided the first major turning point. Vitality surged to a 9-2 lead, but LOUD recovered behind a powerful defensive half and edged the opener 13-11. In-game leader Roberto “erde” Lobos was central to the comeback, helping LOUD turn a map that looked lost into an early series advantage.
Vitality responded on Lotus. The EMEA side opened 5-0, controlled the first half and closed out a 13-8 win to level the final at 1-1. The result gave Vitality hope of repeating its group-stage success over LOUD.
Sunset changed the momentum decisively. Vitality again started quickly, moving 4-0 ahead, but LOUD dominated the remaining rounds to win 13-5. Enzo “tkzin” Zimiani delivered 26 kills on the map as LOUD moved one win from the trophy.
Haven was closer. The teams were tied 6-6 at halftime before LOUD raced to championship point on attack. Vitality fought back to 12-10, but LOUD secured the last round and the world title without needing a fifth map.
erde wins Champions Shanghai MVP
LOUD’s erde was named the tournament MVP after a remarkable championship run. He recorded a 1.21 rating across Champions Shanghai and finished the final with a team-high 1.13 rating and 66 kills.
tkzin finished the Grand Final with 77 kills, including 44 across Sunset and Haven, giving LOUD a second decisive performer during the closing stages. The title-winning five were lukxo, DaviH, Darker, erde and tkzin.
From a group-stage loss to a historic title
LOUD’s road to the trophy included a 0-2 group-stage defeat to Vitality on September 30. The team recovered to reach playoffs, then eliminated Paper Rex 2-0, beat defending champions NRG 2-1 and defeated Vitality 2-1 in the upper final. Sunday’s win completed the turnaround against the same opponent.
Vitality also produced a strong run in Shanghai. After losing the upper final, it beat 100 Thieves 3-1 in the lower final to earn a rematch, but its early-map advantages in the championship series were not enough.
The result gives LOUD titles at both Champions Istanbul 2022 and Champions Shanghai 2026, a first for a VALORANT organization. It also closes the 2026 international season ahead of major VCT format changes in 2027.
For more background, read Frag’s Champions Shanghai tournament preview and group-stage playoffs update.