Paper Rex and Rex Regum Qeon reach the Upper Bracket semifinal
The first week of VCT 2026: Pacific Kickoff has concluded in Seoul
The first week of VCT 2026: Pacific Kickoff — the season’s opening tournament for the Pacific region — has successfully concluded in Seoul. At the Sangam Colosseum arena, the 12 best teams in the region began their battle for three spots at the first international Masters event of the year — VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026.
Key results of the upper bracket
Over the first days of the tournament, the first favorites emerged who will continue their run in the upper bracket:
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Nongshim RedForce had a confident start, claiming victories over Team Secret and T1, and advanced to the upper bracket semifinal.
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FULL SENSE also showed a strong performance, consecutively defeating ZETA DIVISION and DRX, and joined Nongshim RedForce in the semifinal.
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In the other part of the bracket, Paper Rex and Rex Regum Qeon made it through the opening rounds, defeating Global Esports and DetonatioN FocusMe, respectively.
The teams that suffered defeat in the first round of the upper bracket dropped to the Mid Bracket, where they will get a second chance. Among them are Team Secret, ZETA DIVISION, Gen.G Esports, VARREL, Global Esports, T1, DRX and DetonatioN FocusMe.
Tournament format specifics
VCT 2026: Pacific Kickoff is taking place in Seoul from January 22 to February 15. The tournament uses a unique triple-elimination system that gives teams multiple attempts to fight their way forward.
Key features:
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Triple elimination: Teams have three chances to stay in contention.
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Skirmish Side Selection: Before each match, teams determine the side for the map pick/ban phase in a 1v1 Skirmish — a duel without abilities in which the first player to win 5 rounds prevails.
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Rewards: The top three teams of the tournament will earn spots at VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026. The champion will receive 4 points towards the VCT Pacific standings, the runner-up will get 3, and the third-place team will earn 2 points.