Nongshim RedForce closed out VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 with a dominant 3–0 sweep over Paper Rex, winning their first international trophy and the opening major of the 2026 VCT season. The Korean squad took Corrode, Split, and Abyss in straight maps, earning 350,000 USD and 6 VCT points while Pacific rivals Paper Rex settled for second place, 200,000 USD, and 4 points. It was a statement win from an Ascension success story that entered VCT Pacific through the in-game Premier path and climbed all the way to a Masters title in Chile.
| Place | Team | Prize (USD) | VCT points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nongshim RedForce | 350,000 | 6 |
| 2nd | Paper Rex | 200,000 | 4 |
| 3rd | NRG | 125,000 | 3 |
| 4th | G2 Esports | 75,000 | 2 |
If you just want the essentials: Nongshim RedForce beat Paper Rex 3–0 in the Masters Santiago grand final on March 15, 2026, with map scores of 13–11 on Corrode, 13–4 on Split, and 13–3 on Abyss. NS RedForce ran the bracket from the upper side, beating Gentle Mates, G2 Esports, and NRG without dropping a series, then finishing the job against a Paper Rex roster that had just battled through a lower-bracket run.
Quick recap of the grand final
Here’s the match at a glance so you can catch up fast:
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Best-of-five grand final in Santiago, Chile, closing Masters Santiago 2026.
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Nongshim RedForce vs Paper Rex, both from the VCT Pacific region.
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NS RedForce win 3–0: Corrode 13–11, Split 13–4, Abyss 13–3.
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NS RedForce take 1st place, 350,000 USD, and 6 VCT points; Paper Rex take 2nd, 200,000 USD, and 4 points.
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This is the first international Valorant trophy in Nongshim RedForce’s history and a huge milestone for an Ascension-origin roster.
If you watch one VOD, pick the full series VCT broadcast or a highlights cut so you can see how quickly the momentum tilted toward NS RedForce.
How Nongshim RedForce won 3–0
On paper, a Pacific vs Pacific final between NS RedForce and Paper Rex looked like it should go the distance, but the actual series was heavily one-sided after the opener.
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Corrode (13–11 NS RedForce): Paper Rex started strong and built an early lead, but NS RedForce stabilized on defense and stole back control through disciplined retakes and calm late-round calling.
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Split (13–4 NS RedForce): This is where the series tilted. NS RedForce read Paper Rex’s aggression, shut down their entries, and turned the map into a rout with clean setups and nearly flawless site holds.
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Abyss (13–3 NS RedForce): With all the momentum, NS RedForce never let up. They won key opening duels, chained utility perfectly, and denied PRX any real chance at a comeback.
An important detail is how well NS RedForce handled pace. Paper Rex are known for explosive, high-tempo attacks, but NS consistently absorbed that pressure, traded smartly, and punished overextensions instead of panicking. The result was a grand final that ended far faster than most people expected, especially after PRX’s strong lower-bracket run.
NS RedForce’s road to the trophy
Nongshim RedForce’s path to the grand final is a big part of why this win feels so convincing.
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They entered Masters Santiago as VCT Pacific’s top seed, which meant a direct playoff berth.
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In the upper bracket, they beat Gentle Mates 2–0, then G2 Esports, and finally NRG 2–0 to secure a spot in the grand final without dropping a single series.
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Along the way, they showed the same balance of structure and aggression that made them dangerous in Pacific: strong defaults, well-drilled site hits, and very steady mid-round decision-making.
Paper Rex took a more turbulent route. They were forced down to the lower bracket, then pulled off a recovery run that included a win over NRG to reach the grand final. That storyline made the rematch with NS RedForce feel like a clash of momentum vs consistency, but once the series started, NS’s prep and composure clearly won out.
One useful way to think about it: NS RedForce looked like a team that had learned how to turn their Ascension grind into a disciplined, tier-one playstyle, while Paper Rex were still leaning heavily on the chaos that made them famous.
Why this Masters win actually matters
Beyond the highlight clips, this result has real implications for the rest of the 2026 season.
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For Nongshim RedForce, the Masters Santiago title instantly puts them in the “team to beat” tier heading into the next international event and regional play.
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The 6 VCT points and early trophy give them breathing room in the race toward Valorant Champions, especially in a year with limited international slots.
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For Paper Rex, another deep run but a grand final loss adds to their reputation as perennial contenders who still need that extra step to consistently convert finals into trophies.
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For the Pacific region, having a Pacific vs Pacific final and a Pacific champion reinforces the region’s status as one of the strongest in the world right now.
A lot of players will focus on individual performances, but there’s also a long-term angle: NS RedForce are one of the clearest examples so far that a team can climb from in-game Premier and Ascension into full VCT, then all the way to an international trophy within a few seasons. That sets expectations for future Ascension winners and for orgs deciding how seriously to invest in those paths.
From a player perspective, if you follow pro Valorant for meta trends, Masters Santiago also serves as a snapshot of early-2026 map choices and pacing. Corrode and Abyss showing up in the grand final, and the way NS RedForce approached them, will likely influence what you see in high-rank play and future tournaments.
