Nongshim Red Force are the first grand finalist at the VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 as the squad took down NRG 2-0, continuing its unbeaten run. Here’s what went down in the upper bracket finals.
Image Credits: Riot Games
VALORANT Masters Santiago is the first international tournament of the VCT 2026 season. Following an incredible run in the upper bracket, NRG and Nongshim RedForce faced off in the upper bracket final.
Following the map veto, Bind and Abyss were confirmed, with Haven being the decider.
In the first map, Nongshim RedForce dominated on defense, taking the lead 7-5 in the first half. The team carried this momentum during the attack phase, securing the map, 13-9.
Nongshim’s Kim “Francis” Mu-bin was the playmaker on Yoru with seven first bloods to his name and a KDA of 24/12/6. Notably, the player was averaging a damage output of 200 during each round. He will be someone to look out for if you will be betting on the VALORANT Masters Santiago grand final.
On Abyss, Nongshim Redforce were on a roll in the attack side, taking a comfortable 9-3 lead. The duo of Dambi and Francis dismantled the NRG defense apart.
But in the second half, NRG showed why they deserved to be here, staging a remarkable comeback to take the score 11-12. In the final round, however, Nongshim RedForce secured the victory by defusing the spike with just 0.81 seconds left.
NRG have now dropped to the lower bracket final, where they will face Paper Rex.
Nongshim RedForce, on the othre hand, are now on a seven-game winning streak during the VCT 2026 season. This will be the first grand finals that Nongshim Redforce will be taking part in at a VALORANT international tournament.
The grand final this Sunday will determine if Nongshim can continue its win streak, or face heartbreak at the penultimate moment.
Also read: Best VALORANT teams of all time and their accolades
Featured image source: Riot Games
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
