Global Esports pulls off major upset against Nongshim RedForce in VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 1

Global Esports defeated Nongshim RedForce 2-1 in their VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 1 match on May 2, a result that qualifies as a genuine upset in competitive Valorant. GE entered the series ranked 28th globally. Their opponent, NS, sat at number 5.

How the series unfolded

The best-of-three series opened on Breeze, where Global Esports made a statement immediately. GE took the map 13-5, a scoreline that suggested NS might be in for a long afternoon.

Nongshim adjusted on Bind, clawing back with a 13-11 win to force a decider. The Korean squad has historically held the edge in head-to-head matchups against GE, and the Bind victory looked like a return to form.

Then came Haven. The third map delivered exactly the kind of tension that makes competitive esports compelling viewing, with GE edging out NS 14-12.

Why this matters beyond the scoreboard

The VCT Pacific league operates under Riot Games’ franchised structure, meaning this is one of three international leagues (alongside EMEA and Americas) that feed into Valorant’s world championship events.

Global Esports’ win is particularly significant because of the ranking disparity. A 23-spot gap in global rankings isn’t just a number. It reflects months of prior results, map win rates, and opponent strength calculations. NS had beaten GE in earlier encounters, making the historical matchup lean heavily in the Korean organization’s favor heading into this series.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.