After a July 10 quarterfinal win over Team Vitality, the Ascension-promoted VCT Masters Santiago champion fell to 100 Thieves on July 11, sending the North American team to the July 12 Grand Final in Paris.
Nongshim RedForce’s run at Esports World Cup VALORANT 2026 ended in the semifinals on July 11, when 100 Thieves beat the South Korean team in Paris to advance to the Grand Final on July 12. Nongshim had reached the semifinal by eliminating Team Vitality 2-1 in the quarterfinals on July 10, extending a breakout season that already included a 3-0 win over Paper Rex in the March 15 VCT Masters Santiago 2026 final for $350,000 and 6 VCT circuit points. The Esports World Cup VALORANT event carries a $2 million prize pool within the broader $75 million Esports World Cup. Across the tournament, crypto exposure remained limited or indirect: the newer report said no cryptocurrencies, tokens, or blockchain initiatives were linked to the competition, while the earlier report said any crypto connection around VALORANT was largely indirect through sponsorships, betting activity, and blockchain-based fan engagement efforts.