VCT Pacific Stage 1 Playoffs 2026 Preview: Seoul to Ho Chi Minh

VCT Pacific Stage 1 Playoffs 2026 Preview

The VCT Pacific Stage 1 Playoffs 2026 close out the most competitive split the region has had in two years. From May 7 through May 17, eight of the Pacific League's twelve teams play a double-elimination bracket that delivers three Masters London tickets and the early bragging rights of the Valorant season. The opening rounds run at the Sangam Colosseum in Seoul, and the closing weekend moves to Ho Chi Minh City, where the Lower Final and Grand Final play in front of a Vietnamese home crowd. This is what to watch, who to back, and where the bracket gets dangerous.

Key storylines

Three threads define this Playoffs.

Korea's pressure. T1 are still chasing the form that took them to a Pacific title last year, and Gen.G have a roster that looks engineered for international Masters runs. DRX and Nongshim RedForce have leaned into mechanical aggression that the rest of the region is still catching up to. The KR teams are the heavyweights, but they are not invincible.

Paper Rex's identity test. PRX have always been the Pacific outlier: hyperaggressive, comfortable on chaos, and willing to lose a round to set up the next two. With Nongshim leading the standings on 10 points and Paper Rex on 7 heading into Week 2, the Singaporean side has had to recalibrate. The bracket is where their style historically peaks.

The mid-table is wide open. Global Esports, FULL SENSE, ZETA DIVISION, and DetonatioN FocusMe all have a path. Lower bracket survival is exactly the format Pacific underdogs thrive in. Whichever of these teams reaches Ho Chi Minh will arrive battle-hardened.

Teams and rosters

Eight teams advance from the two six-team groups. Top four from each group qualify, with seeding determined by group standings.

Alpha Group contenders

• Nongshim RedForce: Atmospheric form heading into the bracket. The Korean side has been the standings leader, anchored by experienced calling and a deep agent pool. They look like a final-weekend threat.
• Paper Rex: Jinggg and f0rsakeN remain a top-three duo in the region. Their map pool flexibility, especially on Ascent and Pearl, lets them play matchups other teams cannot.
• DRX: The Korean academy machine is producing again. DRX's attacker structure is among the best on Bind and Sunset.
• Gen.G: A title-caliber roster on paper. Karon's leadership and Meteor's flex spot give them the highest ceiling in the region when everything clicks.

Omega Group contenders

• T1: Stax leads a refined T1 that has rebuilt its identity around midround communication. The Korean fan support follows them everywhere.
• FULL SENSE: A Thai-led roster with one of the best entry packages in Pacific. They thrive in elimination matches.
• Rex Regum Qeon: Indonesian fan favorite with f4ng's calling. They have a habit of beating teams ranked above them.
• ZETA DIVISION or DetonatioN FocusMe: One Japanese roster will round out the bracket. ZETA's experience advantage edges them in head-to-heads, but DFM have been climbing through Stage 1.

For full rosters, recent VOD pages, and player stat lines, visit the Valorant hub.

Full schedule and bracket

Playoffs run as a single ten-day window, with a two-day rest break between the early and late rounds.

Phase	Dates	Location
Upper Bracket Quarterfinals	May 7 to May 8	Sangam Colosseum, Seoul
Upper Bracket Semifinals	May 9 to May 10	Sangam Colosseum, Seoul
Lower Bracket Round 1	May 11	Sangam Colosseum, Seoul
Upper Bracket Final	May 12	Sangam Colosseum, Seoul
Lower Bracket Round 2	May 13	Sangam Colosseum, Seoul
Lower Bracket Final	May 16	Ho Chi Minh City (tentative)
Grand Final	May 17	Ho Chi Minh City (tentative)

The Ho Chi Minh leg is tentative as of publication. Riot Pacific is expected to confirm the venue and exact final-weekend schedule a few days before May 15. Track confirmations on the VCT Pacific tournament page and the home page calendar.

Most rounds are Best-of-3. The Lower Final and Grand Final are Best-of-5.

Where to watch

The official Pacific broadcast streams free.

• English: twitch.tv/valorant_pacific and the VCT Pacific YouTube channel
• Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian: official Pacific co-streams in each language
• Watch parties: many Pacific squads operate official watch parties through their own Twitch channels

The Esport Agenda live tracker lists every match, every co-stream, and every score in real time on the Valorant hub.

Predictions

Picking a Pacific bracket is humbling, but here is a reasonable read.

Most likely Grand Final: Nongshim RedForce vs. Gen.G. NSRF have been the most consistent team across the split, and Gen.G have the highest individual ceiling. Either of them lifting the trophy would not surprise anyone.

Dark horse: T1. They have not had the cleanest split, but they tend to peak in elimination matches, and the Sangam Colosseum crowd has historically pushed them an extra map.

Bracket spoiler: Paper Rex. PRX in lower bracket is a different team. If they drop the upper bracket on day one, expect a long lower run.

Masters London picks: Nongshim RedForce, Gen.G, and Paper Rex. The same three teams have shaped Pacific finals weekends for over a year, and recent form does not suggest anyone has fully closed the gap.

How to follow along on Esport Agenda

Setting up your bracket weekend takes thirty seconds.

1. Open the VCT Pacific tournament page.
2. Hit "Follow tournament" to add every Bo3 and Bo5 to your dashboard.
3. Enable notifications, and you will get a 30-minute heads-up before every series.

If you only follow specific teams, you can pin Gen.G, T1, or Paper Rex from the Valorant hub and filter your feed down to those matches.

Pick'em

The Pick'em for VCT Pacific Stage 1 is open. Lock your upper bracket calls, your lower bracket survivors, and your champion before the first round opens on May 7.

What to expect

Pacific Playoffs always reward teams that can adapt their map pool mid-series, and this bracket is loaded with sides that flex deep into Sunset, Bind, Pearl, and Ascent. Watch for which teams trust new agent compositions late in the tournament: that is usually who lifts the trophy. Whatever happens, the road from Seoul to Ho Chi Minh sets the seeding tone for Masters London.

Save the Valorant hub, turn on notifications, and we will keep the bracket close to hand. New to Esport Agenda? Start at the home page to build your personal esports calendar.