KRÜ Blaze got here by the decrease bracket to beat Europe’s Mild Mates GC over 5 maps in São Paulo, giving LATAM its first Recreation Changers Championship title. They’re additionally the final winners of the standalone occasion, as subsequent yr’s closing strikes to Champions.
KRÜ Blaze are the 2026 VALORANT Recreation Changers Championship winners. They edged Mild Mates GC 3-2 on the Riot Video games Enviornment in São Paulo on 1 November. No Latin American workforce had lifted the title earlier than. No workforce had ever gained it from the decrease bracket both.
The occasion ran from 22 October, with 10 groups competing. Mild Mates earned US$100,000 as runners-up. Shopify Riot Gold took US$70,000 for third place and MIBR GC US$50,000 for fourth.
KRÜ Blaze recovered from an upper-bracket semi-final defeat
KRÜ took the lengthy route. They beat Gen.G GC 2-1 within the upper-bracket quarter-finals on 23 October. A 2-0 loss to Shopify Riot Gold on 27 October then dropped them into the decrease bracket. They answered with clear sweeps of Staff Liquid Brazil and MIBR GC. On 31 October they beat Shopify Riot Gold 3-1 within the best-of-five lower-bracket closing.
The grand closing swung backwards and forwards. Mild Mates took Haven 13-5 earlier than KRÜ levelled on Abyss by the identical rating. KRÜ led the third map 10-2 at half-time. Mild Mates fought again, however KRÜ closed it out 14-12 in additional time. Mild Mates then gained Cut up 13-8 to pressure a decider. KRÜ led 11-5 on Ascent and gained it by the identical margin as Cut up.
Liquipedia named KRÜ’s Argentine participant tok1o because the occasion’s MVP. Brazilian teammates antG and none grew to become the primary Brazilians to win a global match held in São Paulo.
The outcome breaks a sample. Earlier than 2026 the title went to G2 Gozen for Europe in 2022, Shopify Riot for North America in 2023 and 2024, and Staff Liquid Brazil in 2025. KRÜ’s personal file on the occasion had improved steadily. They completed seventh–eighth in 2022 and fifth–sixth in every of the subsequent two years. Final yr they got here fourth.
Mild Mates’ unbeaten run ended within the grand closing
For European followers, it was a painful close to miss. Mild Mates GC arrived as EMEA’s second seed. The workforce had not misplaced a sequence in São Paulo earlier than the ultimate, in accordance with Esports Information UK.
It capped a robust debut season within the circuit. Mild Mates gained EMEA Stage 1 by sweeping G2 Gozen 3-0 on 22 February. They misplaced the Stage 2 closing to SK Nebula on 24 Might with out profitable a map. On 30 August they misplaced the Stage 3 closing to G2 Gozen in a fifth map. Silver in São Paulo leaves them with one title from 4 finals this yr.
The standalone Recreation Changers Championship ends with KRÜ
The São Paulo closing additionally closes a format. KRÜ are the final workforce to elevate the trophy at a separate occasion of its personal. For the primary time, the Recreation Changers Championship will end at Champions. Each workforce that performs on the 2027 Recreation Changers Championship will obtain a fee equal to Mild Mates’ runners-up prize this yr. VALORANT Champions 2027 is scheduled for 16 September to 10 October in Austin.
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