KRÜ Blaze makes history with Game Changers Championship title in São Paulo

In a historic finish to the 2026 VALORANT Game Changers Championship, KRÜ Blaze secured the title by defeating Europe’s Gentle Mates GC in a tightly contested 3-2 grand final. As reported by Esports Insider, this victory marks the first time a Latin American team has claimed the championship and the first time a team has ascended from the lower bracket to win the event.

A long road to the trophy

The tournament, held at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, saw KRÜ Blaze navigate a challenging path after dropping to the lower bracket following a loss to Shopify Rebellion Gold on 27 October. The team responded with consecutive sweeps against Team Liquid Brazil and MIBR GC, eventually earning their spot in the grand final after a 3-1 win over Shopify Rebellion Gold. The final series against Gentle Mates stretched to five maps, with KRÜ Blaze ultimately clinching the series on Ascent with a 13-5 scoreline.

Liquipedia recognized KRÜ’s Argentine player tok1o as the event’s MVP, while teammates antG and none became the first Brazilian players to win an international trophy in their home country. According to reporting from Esports Insider, this result concludes a steady upward trajectory for the squad, who finished 7th–8th in 2022 and 5th–6th in 2023 and 2024.

Why it matters

This victory is particularly significant as it marks the end of the Game Changers Championship as a standalone event. KRÜ Blaze will go down in history as the final winners of the independent tournament, as Riot Games has announced that the 2027 championship will be integrated into the VALORANT Champions event. The upcoming 2027 finals are scheduled to take place in Austin from 16 September to 10 October.

Players should note that the transition to the Champions format brings changes to the circuit’s financial structure. Starting next year, all teams participating in the Game Changers Championship will receive a payout equivalent to the US$100,000 runners-up prize earned by Gentle Mates this year. For fans of the EMEA region, the result serves as a bittersweet end to a debut season for Gentle Mates, who despite their loss, concluded a year that included three final appearances across the circuit.