Two South Korean teams, SLT Seongnam and Nongshim RedForce, have officially qualified for the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific League following standout performances at the 2025 VCT Ascension Pacific tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. The event, organized by Riot Games Korea, ran from Oct. 14 to 26 and featured top contenders from across the Asia-Pacific region battling for promotion to the premier international league.

2025 VCT Ascension Pacific Results

SLT Seongnam entered the competition as a top seed from Challengers Korea and immediately established dominance. Placed in Group Alpha with BOOM Esports, Team NKT, Motiv Esports, and E-KING, the team swept the group stage with a perfect 4–0 record. Their aggressive playstyle and precise coordination made them an early tournament favorite.

In the playoffs, SLT Seongnam maintained their perfect run. After defeating NAOS 2–0 in the upper bracket opener, they clashed with BOOM Esports for a direct qualification slot. With star player Jexi (Seok-hyun Jang) leading the charge, the team overpowered BOOM 3–0, highlighted by a commanding 13–4 win on Haven and another 13–9 victory on Corrode. Their undefeated performance earned them an uncontested promotion to next year’s VCT Pacific League.

Nongshim RedForce, meanwhile, had a more turbulent path. Placed in Group Omega, they opened with a 0–2 loss to NAOS but rebounded strongly, winning their remaining matches to advance to playoffs. Starting from the lower bracket, they swept Velocity Gaming and Motiv Esports to reach the final qualification match against BOOM Esports.

After a tight back-and-forth series, Nongshim clinched the final slot with a 3–1 victory. Key performances from Francis (Mu-bin Kim) and Danbi (Hyuk-kyu Lee) helped seal the win, with Danbi’s explosive Neon play delivering a standout 277 ACS on the deciding map, Lotus.

Their success means that five South Korean teams—DRX, Gen.G, T1, SLT Seongnam, and Nongshim RedForce—will now represent the region in the 2026 VCT Pacific League. Riot Games has emphasized that the next VCT season will feature expanded opportunities for regional teams through direct promotion pathways, promising a deeper competitive field and an even more dynamic VALORANT esports landscape heading into 2026.