On the ninth and penultimate day of the VALORANT Game Changers Championship Seoul, there was only one objective left on the line: secure the final spot in the grand final against Team Liquid Brazil. In the lower final, Shopify Rebellion Gold met MIBR GC in a do-or-die BO5. For Shopify, the task was to reinforce their status as back-to-back world champions; for MIBR, it was about finally breaking through a competitive ceiling that has eluded them for multiple seasons.

Shopify close out the series and shut the door

The series opened with Shopify’s pick on Pearl, where the North Americans edged out a tightly contested 13–11 after a highly tense closing stretch, before MIBR immediately struck back on Split with a controlled 13–6 that brought the BO5 level at 1–1. The momentum shift came on Corrode and then Abyss. Better structured in the mid-round, Shopify adjusted their pace, exerted firmer control over the economy and locked down the crucial rounds to take those maps 13–7 and 13–11 respectively, closing out the lower final 3–1 without ever needing to reach the fifth map.

Individually, Karnthida "dodonut" Chaisrakeo delivered yet another benchmark series, posting an overall rating close to 1.35 and 85/53/25 of KDA that left her comfortably ahead of the pack for Shopify, reaffirming her role as the team’s new primary aggressive duelist. Nicole "Noia" Tierce, Alexis "alexis" Guarrasi and, in particular, Sarah "sarahcat" Simpson on the final map all distinguished themselves as key pillars in the win; sarahcat produced a string of impactful multikills and clutches, both in low-buy situations and in full gun rounds. Together, they showcased Shopify’s collective stability, both in retake scenarios and in structured executes, while Melanie "meL" Capone provided the tactical backbone and mid-round direction that held the entire system together.

On the MIBR side, Paula "bstrdd" Naguil and Nicolas "srN" Niederauer carried much of the team’s offensive weight, repeatedly attempting high-risk openings and taking duels to keep their side within touching distance. Giulia "lissa" Lissa and Camila "sayuri" Obam also found important timings, particularly on Split, but MIBR struggled to convert their occasional economic advantages into sustained series of rounds. At every pivotal moment, clutches, anti-eco conversions, late-half swings, Shopify displayed greater consistency and ultimately imposed its game. With this victory, Shopify Rebellion Gold qualify for the grand final, where they will try to get their revege on Team Liquid Brazil, while MIBR GC conclude their run with a top-three finish after a solid lower-bracket campaign that notably included wins over G2 Gozen and KRÜ Blaze.