The third week of VCT Pacific Stage 1 has begun with quite a lot of excitement. This is because of the anticipated match between Nongshim RedForce and Gen.G. So far, the performance of the two teams in the tournament is something that no one would have expected.
Image credit: Riot Games
There is a lot to unpack here as Nongshim RedForce are the reigning VALORANT Masters Santiago champions. Only a few weeks back, they defeated Paper Rex in a dominant 3-0 victory in the grand final.
During VCT Pacific Stage 1 2026, the team has gone on to lose their first two matches back-to-back against the likes of Paper Rex and Kiwoom DRX. This was quite a shocker to everyone as the team had not lost a single match during VCT Pacific Kickoff.
On the other hand, Gen.G’s journey in this competition has had a low and a high. The low being the team losing to Global Esports in quite the shocker.
The high, on the other hand, was Gen.G defeating Paper Rex, which was another shocker. Gen.G defeated Paper Rex with a 2-1 scoreline, building up momentum as well.
It must be stated that if Nongshim RedForce loses, then they will most likely fail to make it to the playoffs of VCT Pacific Stage 1. Thus, this match is a do-or-die situation for Nongshim RedForce.
An interesting stat point for this game concerns Kim “t3xture” Na-ra, the primary duelist of Gen.G. If t3xture can keep his ACS above 240, then the probability of Gen.G winning on maps like Haven or Breeze increases above 70%.
While this might be the case, Nongshim RedForce will also need to worry about their opponents during pistol rounds. Gen.G currently has a win rate of 70.4% on pistol rounds. This is one of the highest by any team in all four VCT leagues.
The only win condition for Nongshim RedForce is if the duo of Kim “Francis” Mu-bin and Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu get back into form. During VALORANT Masters Santiago, they were topping the charts on multiple stats. Currently, in this competition, they haven’t been able to emulate their previous form.
The odds favor Nongshim Red Force at the moment. However, with over three odds on Gen.G, they are the better and the value pick for this match. In our opinion, we believe that Gen.G will win this match with a 2-1 scoreline.
As it is a do-or-die match, we know Nongshim RedForce will give their best and have a good chance to win the first map.
If they don’t, then we are most likely to see their mental collapse, resulting in the team losing 2-1.
Also read: Sentinels to compete in the VCT Game Changers through Blue Otter collab
Featured image source: Riot Games
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