LOUD beat Vitality 3-1 to become the first two-time VALORANT world champions
The young Brazilian team won the $1 million top prize at VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai, with captain erde named Finals MVP.
At a glance
- LOUD beat Team Vitality 3-1 in the VALORANT Champions 2026 grand final in Shanghai on Sunday, October 18.
- LOUD are the first organisation to win VALORANT's world championship twice, after their 2022 title in Istanbul.
- Captain Roberto 'erde' Lobos was named Finals MVP.
- LOUD took the $1 million first prize from a $2.25 million pool; Vitality won $400,000.
Brazil's LOUD are VALORANT world champions again. The team beat France's Team Vitality 3-1 in the grand final of VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai on Sunday, October 18, becoming the first organisation to win the game's biggest tournament twice.
The final, map by map
| Map | Score |
|---|---|
| Summit | LOUD 13-11 |
| Lotus | Vitality 13-8 |
| Sunset | LOUD 13-5 |
| Haven | LOUD 13-10 |
LOUD edged a tight opening map, but Vitality hit back on Lotus. From there the Brazilians took control, crushing Vitality on Sunset and holding their nerve on Haven to close out the series.
It was sweet revenge. Vitality had beaten LOUD 2-0 in the group stage, before LOUD won their upper-bracket final meeting 2-1 to reach the decider first.
An emotional MVP
Captain and in-game leader Roberto "erde" Lobos was named Finals MVP. He revealed after the match that his mother had died two days before the team's first game at the event, and dedicated the title to her.
The youngest team in the field
LOUD's roster — erde, Lucca "luk xo" Travaioli, Juan "Darker" Castro Cicuamia, David "DaviH" Cruz and Enzo "tkzin" Zimiani — had an average age of 19.8, the youngest at the tournament. Eighteen-year-old tkzin, on loan from KRÜ, was playing his first top-tier season.
The champions collect US$1 million from a US$2.25 million prize pool, with Vitality taking US$400,000.
What it means
LOUD's first world title came at Champions 2022 in Istanbul. This second crown also closes an era: the VALORANT Champions Tour's partnership league system is moving towards more open tournaments from 2027.
Questions people are asking
Who won VALORANT Champions 2026?
LOUD of Brazil, who beat Team Vitality 3-1 in the grand final in Shanghai on October 18, 2026.
How much did LOUD win at VALORANT Champions 2026?
The champions earned US$1 million from a US$2.25 million prize pool. Runners-up Vitality earned US$400,000.
How we verified this story
GlobeHourly wrote this report in its own words after checking the facts against 3 independent sources: official statements, wire agencies and established news outlets. Read our standards.
