Gentle Mates GC reach Game Changers final after comeback

Gentle Mates GC reached the VCT Game Changers Championship 2026 grand final with a 2-1 comeback win over Shopify Rebellion Gold in São Paulo on Friday, 30 October. The French-based side lost the opening map but won the next two to advance on their Championship debut.

The result gives Gentle Mates a two-map ban advantage in the best-of-five grand final. Shopify Rebellion Gold dropped into the lower bracket final against KRÜ Blaze, with the winner set to face Gentle Mates.

Comeback ends both teams’ perfect map runs

Both sides entered the upper bracket final having won every map they had played at the event. Shopify Rebellion Gold took the first map in 53 minutes, but Gentle Mates held on to win the second 13-11 after Shopify had fought back to 10-10.

The deciding map, Summit, lasted 57 minutes and ended 13-10 to Gentle Mates. It was their first series at the Championship to go beyond two maps, following 2-0 victories over Team Liquid Brazil and MIBR GC.

Gentle Mates’ line-up of Marti, Nami, Wens, tokameite and berryx had arrived in São Paulo after winning their final two EMEA Stage 3 matches against G2 Gozen and SK Nebula. Their preceding result was a 3-2 defeat to G2 Gozen.

Shopify face lower-bracket rematch

Shopify Rebellion Gold had beaten SK Nebula and KRÜ Blaze without dropping a map on their way to the upper final. Led at this event by interim in-game leader alexis, they were due to meet KRÜ again after the latter advanced through the lower bracket with 2-0 wins over Team Liquid Brazil and MIBR GC.

Shopify reached last year’s Championship title match in Seoul, where Team Liquid Brazil beat them 3-2. This year, MIBR GC finished fourth, earning $50,000, while SK Nebula placed joint fifth to sixth for $25,000.

Grand final awaits in São Paulo

The lower bracket final was scheduled for Saturday, 31 October at 15:00 BRT. The winner faces Gentle Mates in the grand final on Sunday, 1 November at 15:00 BRT.

Both remaining matches are best-of-five series, following best-of-three matches in the earlier rounds. This is the last Game Changers Championship planned as a standalone event: in 2027, it moves to Austin, Texas, where it will run alongside VALORANT Champions from 16 September to 10 October.