The VCT Americas Kickoff 2026 began with results that shifted the tone of the season right in the first week. The tournament, held at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, marked the debut of the Triple Elimination format, testing revamped rosters and preseason strategies. Check out everything about VCT Americas Week 01 here!
From the very first matchups, the championship proved that being a favorite doesn’t guarantee stability. While FURIA surprised everyone with a solid, undefeated run, LOUD suffered an unexpected setback and fell early to the Mid Bracket. Additionally, MIBR confirmed their strength in their debut, staying in the hunt for the top spot.
VCT Americas Week 01: FURIA Shocks the Scene by Dominating Sentinels
The standout result of the week in VCT Americas Week 01 happened on Sunday (18). FURIA faced Sentinels, one of the heavy favorites who benefited from a first-round bye. The series ended 2-0 for FURIA.
On Pearl, the Brazilians imposed an aggressive pace from the start and won 13-5, supported by an extremely consistent defense. Their map control neutralized the North American executes. On Breeze, the series took on a dramatic tone. FURIA won 13-11, despite an “off the charts” individual performance from Sentinels’ johnqt. The Controller finished the map with a 1.75 rating and 25 kills, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the team’s lack of collective coordination. The victory keeps FURIA undefeated in the Upper Bracket, just one win away from the decisive Best-of-Five (Bo5) series.
LOUD Stumbles and Falls Early to the Mid Bracket
If FURIA was the big positive underdog story, LOUD experienced the most delicate moment of the week. On Thursday (15), the Brazilian squad lost their debut to Cloud9 2-0. The maps ended 13-7 on Haven and 13-11 on Abyss.
LOUD showed clear difficulties in retakes and defensive adaptation. Despite this, the newcomer lukxo was the highlight of the series, recording 297 ACS on Abyss playing Chamber. With the defeat, LOUD fell to the Mid Bracket, where another loss could prematurely end their campaign toward Masters Santiago.
VCT Americas Week 01: MIBR, NRG, and G2 Confirm Favoritism
While some favorites stumbled, others lived up to expectations in VCT Americas Week 01. MIBR defeated ENVY 2-0, with scores of 13-7 on Abyss and 13-11 on Corrode.
NRG also showed strength by beating Cloud9 2-0, dominating Pearl (13-2) and controlling Breeze (13-9). Tactical control was the ultimate difference-maker. Meanwhile, G2 Esports beat 100 Thieves 2-1. Despite the loss, 100 Thieves dominated Corrode 13-3, showing resilience, but ultimately fell on the deciding maps.
The Landscape After Week One
With the conclusion of the opening week of VCT Americas Week 01, FURIA, MIBR, NRG, and G2 Esports remain firm in the Upper Bracket. All four are just one win away from the grand Bo5 qualifying series.
On the other hand, LOUD, Sentinels, Leviatán, and KRÜ now face the hardest path. Another defeat could mean direct elimination and the end of the dream to compete in Masters Santiago as early as next Sunday (25).
