KRÜ Blaze beat Gentle Mates GC to claim historic Valorant title

KRÜ Blaze defeated Gentle Mates GC 3-2 in the grand final of the Valorant Game Changers Championship 2026, becoming the first LATAM team to win the title. They also became the first champions to recover from a drop into the lower bracket.

The final went to all five maps, with KRÜ Blaze closing out the deciding contest on Ascent 13-8. Amaro “tok1o” Miranda was named the series MVP after recording 84 kills.

A final that swung both ways

Gentle Mates GC struck first on Haven, winning 13-5 despite KRÜ Blaze taking the opening three rounds. Gentle Mates led 7-5 at the break and did not concede a round in the second half.

KRÜ Blaze answered with a 13-5 win on Abyss. They opened with four consecutive rounds, built an 8-4 half-time lead and dropped just one round after the sides switched.

Sunset produced the closest map of the series. KRÜ Blaze led 10-2 at the break, but Gentle Mates GC matched that scoreline in the second half to force overtime. KRÜ Blaze won both extra rounds to take the map 14-12 and move ahead in the final.

Gentle Mates GC kept the contest alive on Split. The teams were level at 6-6 halfway through before Gentle Mates pulled clear for a 13-8 victory, setting up an Ascent decider.

KRÜ Blaze took a 7-5 lead on defence in the final map, then carried their advantage through the second half to finish the series with a 13-8 win.

Lower-bracket run ends with the trophy

KRÜ Blaze had reached the grand final by a difficult route. SR Gold beat them 2-0 in the upper bracket semifinals, sending them into the lower bracket.

They responded by beating MIBR GC 2-0, then defeated SR Gold 3-1 in the lower bracket final to earn another chance at the championship. Gentle Mates GC, by contrast, had reached the final without losing a series at the event.

That made the grand final Gentle Mates GC’s first series defeat of the Championship. For KRÜ Blaze, the five-map victory completed a lower-bracket comeback and secured a first title for a LATAM team.