Chasing their first title: Pacific and China at Game Changers Championship 2026

The final standalone edition of the VALORANT Game Changers Championship will run from October 22 to November 1, featuring 10 of the best GC teams from six leagues. Among them, Pacific and China have a total of three slots, with Gen.G GC and FENNEL Female representing Pacific, while Nova Esports GC will carry China’s hopes alone in São Paulo, Brazil.

All three teams will enter the tournament aiming to make history by bringing home the first Championship trophy for their respective regions. Before they begin their Game Changers Championship 2026 campaigns, here’s a closer look at the storylines each team brings to the event.

After exiting the Game Changers scene in 2023, Gen.G GC made a rocking comeback this year to finally qualify for its first-ever Championship. The South Korean organization put together a fresh roster heading into the 2026 season and dominated the domestic circuit, winning Korea Split 1, Split 2, and GC Pacific. The team advanced to the global event as the region’s first seed, successfully achieving the best results in Gen.G GC’s history so far.

However, facing established opponents will be a massive challenge for the relatively inexperienced Gen.G GC roster, especially with Jeong "miNt" Ye-rim and Park "Yamzzi" Su-jin having no prior international experience. “Yamzzi (Park Su-jin) and I, in particular, have no prior international experience. Making a deep run in the tournament will be our biggest challenge, and that's what we'll focus on the most,” miNt told Sheep Esports during the pre-event conference.

The first team Pacific representatives will face is KRÜ Blaze on October 23, a team known for its aggressive playstyle. Defeating the Brazilian powerhouse would be a major upset in the tournament and a massive confidence boost for the young squad.

FENNEL Female will be making a return to the Game Changers Championship after four years. After narrowly missing out on qualification last year, the organization made changes to both its roster and coaching staff, with the adjustments immediately paying off. FENNEL Female won both Japan Split 1 and Split 2, while finishing second at GC Pacific and throughout the season, the team lost only one series against Gen.G GC.

Although the organization has made just one international appearance so far, players such as Sarina "Moco" Kawashima, Suzu "suzu" Sasaki, Kim "SereNa" Sia, and “UR” bring considerable experience from their time with ZETA DIVISION GC. This experience will be insanely valuable during high-pressure situations, especially for their initiator, “YuRinChi”, who will step onto the GCC stage for the first time. The team will play the tournament’s opening series against MIBR GC on October 22, with a spot in the upper quarterfinals against G2 Gozen on the line.

Nova Esports GC won Game Changers China Qualifier to become the only team from China to qualify for the Game Changers Championship in São Paulo. However, their journey to the international stage was far from easy, as the organization dropped to the lower bracket after losing to Havoc & Yonder GC.

That said, the players showed resilience and not only fought their way through the lower bracket but also got revenge against the team team that previously defeated them in dominant fashion, taking them down 3-1 in the grand final. Going up against SK Nebula on October 22, Nova Esports GC’s ability to recover from setbacks and perform under pressure will be a crucial factor.

“We have expectations this time, and compared to last time, I think we have more experience in international games. So this time, we just want to showcase what we are really capable of, enjoy this international stage, and just play our game,” 7er stated ahead of GCC 2026. However, the margin for error will be slim and the road ahead will only get tougher for the Chinese team, as a victory would set up an upper-quarterfinal clash against Shopify Rebellion Gold.