100 Thieves Sweep T1 as Chinese Teams Struggle in Opening Round of VALORANT Champions Shanghai

100 Thieves opened their VALORANT Champions 2026 campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over T1, while FUT Esports demolished JD Gaming as all four Chinese representatives lost their opening matches at the world championship in Shanghai.

VALORANT Champions 2026 has completed its opening round in Shanghai, with several international contenders making immediate statements and the host region suffering a difficult start to the tournament.

One of the biggest results came on September 27, when 100 Thieves defeated T1 2-0 in Group A. The North American side won T1's map pick Summit 13-8 before closing the series on Ascent, sending T1 into the group's elimination match.

The victory continued 100 Thieves' strong form after their successful VCT Americas campaign. Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban was particularly influential against T1, finishing the series with a 1.52 rating and a 45/23/6 KDA, according to VLR.gg.

FUT Esports produced an even more dominant opening against JD Gaming, winning the Group A series 2-0. FUT destroyed JDG 13-1 on Ascent, including a 12-0 defensive half, before recovering from an 8-4 halftime deficit on Summit to win the second map 13-10. Efe "s0pp" Tur finished the series with 41 kills and 11 opening kills.

The result created a Group A winners' match between 100 Thieves and FUT Esports on September 30, with the winner securing a place in the playoffs. T1 and JD Gaming will meet on October 2 in an elimination match in which the losing side will be knocked out of Champions.

China's difficult opening weekend has become one of the tournament's main early storylines. All four VCT CN representatives lost their first series. TYLOO fell 0-2 to G2 Esports, Xi Lai Gaming lost 0-2 to Karmine Corp, EDward Gaming were swept 0-2 by LOUD and JD Gaming lost 0-2 to FUT.

EDward Gaming's defeat was particularly notable given their status as one of China's best-known international VALORANT organizations. LOUD won the Group B series without dropping a map and advanced to face Team Vitality, who had earlier defeated Global Esports 2-1.

Elsewhere, G2 Esports, NRG and Karmine Corp all opened with 2-0 victories, while Paper Rex needed three maps to defeat Team Liquid 2-1. The first round therefore left several teams from the Americas and EMEA in strong positions to reach the knockout stage.

The next round begins on September 29 with two important winners' matches: G2 Esports against Paper Rex in Group C and NRG against Karmine Corp in Group D. On September 30, Team Vitality will face LOUD before 100 Thieves meet FUT Esports.

Champions Shanghai runs from September 24 to October 18, bringing together 16 teams from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China. The teams are divided into four GSL-style groups, with the top two from each advancing to an eight-team double-elimination playoff bracket. The tournament carries a $2.25 million prize pool and will crown the 2026 VALORANT world champion.

The opening results have already changed the pressure around the event. 100 Thieves, FUT and several other international contenders are now one victory away from the playoffs, while China's four representatives must recover immediately to avoid an early exit on home soil. With qualification and elimination matches beginning this week, Champions Shanghai is quickly moving from its opening phase into its first decisive stage.