Chronicle Set to Become First Player to Compete in Three VALORANT Champions Finals

Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov of Team Vitality is set to become the first player in history to compete in three VALORANT Champions Grand Finals. The Russian secured his place in another title match on Saturday, October 17, as Vitality defeated 100 Thieves 3-1 in the lower bracket final at Champions 2026.

Chronicle previously reached the final with Gambit Esports in 2021 and Fnatic in 2025. Now 24, he will play his third Champions Grand Final with a third different organization. He will also become the first player to appear in back-to-back Champions Grand Finals.

Chronicle's Three VALORANT Champions Grand Finals

Chronicle finished runner-up in both of his previous appearances, with each final going to a fifth map:

• 2021: Gambit Esports 2-3 Acend, in Berlin, Germany.
• 2025: Fnatic 2-3 NRG, in Paris, France.
• 2026: Team Vitality vs. LOUD, in Shanghai, China, with the result still to be decided.

Chronicle has already won major international titles, including Masters Berlin 2021 with Gambit and both LOCK//IN São Paulo and Masters Tokyo in 2023 with Fnatic. A Champions trophy, however, is still missing from his collection.

Chronicle to Face LOUD in the 2026 Grand Final

Vitality booked its place in the final by eliminating 100 Thieves on Saturday, one day after losing 2-1 to LOUD in the upper bracket final. The teams also met in the group stage, where Vitality won 2-0. Sunday's title match will therefore be their third meeting at Champions 2026.

LOUD is back in the Grand Final four years after winning the 2022 title and has a chance to become the first organization to win Champions twice. For Chronicle, it is another shot at his first world championship after two runner-up finishes.

The VALORANT Champions 2026 Grand Final takes place in Shanghai on Sunday, October 18, at 2 AM ET / 7 AM BST / 8 AM CEST (3 AM BRT), in a best-of-five series.

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Featured image credit: Riot Games