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KRÜ Blaze Defeat Gentle Mates to Win Game Changers Championship 2026
KRÜ Blaze have won the Game Changers Championship 2026. The Argentine team defeated Gentle Mates GC 3-2 in the Grand Final of the VALORANT Game Changers world championship on Sunday, November 1, at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil.
The victory gave Latin America its first title in the competition's history. It also capped a lower-bracket comeback for KRÜ, who eliminated both Brazilian representatives and avenged their only series loss of the tournament on the way to the trophy.
How Did the KRÜ Blaze vs. Gentle Mates Grand Final Play Out?
Gentle Mates entered the Grand Final without losing a series and having dropped just one map throughout the tournament. The European team started strongly, taking Haven 13-5, but KRÜ answered with a 13-5 win of their own on Abyss.
On Sunset, KRÜ raced to a 9-3 halftime lead before Gentle Mates fought back and forced overtime. KRÜ eventually closed out the map 14-12 to move within one map of the title, but Gentle Mates responded with a 13-8 victory on Split to level the series again.
It all came down to Ascent, where KRÜ sealed the championship with a 13-8 win. KRÜ earned $180,000 for first place out of a total prize pool of $500,000. Runners-up Gentle Mates took home $100,000.
Argentina's Amaro “tok1o” Miranda was named Grand Final MVP. She finished the five-map series with 84 kills, the most of any KRÜ player.
How Did KRÜ Blaze Reach the Game Changers Grand Final?
KRÜ opened their campaign on October 23 with a 2-1 victory over Gen.G GC. Four days later, they fell 2-0 to Shopify Rebellion Gold in the upper-bracket semifinals, leaving them with no room for another series loss.
KRÜ then eliminated defending world champions Team Liquid Brazil with a 2-0 win on October 28. Two days later, they knocked out MIBR GC by the same score, ending Brazil's participation in the tournament.
Shopify Rebellion Gold stood between KRÜ and the Grand Final. In their October 31 rematch, KRÜ dropped Sunset 13-6 before winning the next three maps to take the series 3-1. The fourth map, Ascent, went to overtime and ended 17-15.
The lower-bracket comeback sent KRÜ to their first Game Changers Championship Grand Final. Awaiting them were Gentle Mates, who had beaten Team Liquid, MIBR and Shopify Rebellion Gold in succession in the upper bracket. By winning the title, KRÜ also became the first team in tournament history to lift the trophy after dropping into the lower bracket.
What's Changing for the Game Changers Championship in 2027?
The São Paulo edition was the final standalone Game Changers Championship. Riot Games has announced that starting in 2027, the Game Changers world championship will be held alongside VALORANT Champions.
Both events will take place in Austin, Texas, from September 16 to October 10, 2027, bringing Game Changers into VALORANT's flagship international event.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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