Nongshim RedForce beat RRQ, take first Masters Santiago slot

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Okay, so I was watching the VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff, and it was a huge showdown between NS from South Korea and RRQ from Southeast Asia. They were battling it out for the first spot at Masters Santiago – basically, a chance to compete on a bigger stage. It was a really exciting match to see who would represent the region!

The VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff event saw a fierce competition between a South Korean team and a team from Southeast Asia. The prize? To be the very first team globally to qualify for Masters Santiago. After a tough best-of-five series, Nongshim Esports defeated Rex Regum Qeon and secured their spot in Santiago.

VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff: NS vs. RRQ

Let’s start by looking at how both teams are now just one win away from becoming the first to qualify for Masters Santiago from the Pacific region. All teams started in the winners’ bracket of this tournament, which allows for two losses. RRQ dominated both Detonation FocusMe and Paper Rex with 2-0 victories, reaching the final of the winners’ bracket with a nearly perfect record.

Nongshim faced a slightly tougher road, losing one match along the way, but ultimately won all of their series. They defeated Team Secret 2-0, T1 2-1, and FULL SENSE 2-0.

Both teams seemed equally capable heading into the match, and either one could have easily won. However, historically, NS had a slight edge, having won two out of three previous matches against RRQ. This latest victory improves their record to three wins and one loss against the Southeast Asian team.

The match was tough for the South Korean team. While both sides fought hard, they struggled on the final map, Breeze. RRQ won the initial pistol round, but Nongshim RedForce then dominated, winning twelve rounds straight, including the second pistol round. RRQ attempted a comeback, securing six more rounds – even winning a round with limited resources after losing the pistol – but NS ultimately won the match in round 20.

Both teams put up incredible numbers. RRQ’s Cahya “Monyet” Nugraha showcased his versatility by playing five different Agents throughout the five maps, and NS Kim “Francis” Mu-bin consistently used Yoru for every game of the series.

Jung “Xross” Hwan was the most valuable player of the match, achieving an impressive score of 79 kills, 62 assists, and 20 deaths over five maps, with an average combat score of 196.

RRQ lost in the semifinals and will now compete against T1 in the third-place match for a chance to qualify for Masters Santiago.

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2026-02-13 19:11