NS Rb: "As a former VCT China player, I know how good the players are. They have sharp aim, and are smart at reading the game"

Nongshim RedForce pick up their first win at VALORANT Champions 2026 at the expense of VCT China’s 4th seed, XLG Esports. The Masters Santiago champions closed out the series 2-0 with two 13-11 wins on Summit and Sunset. Kim “Francis” Mu-bin had a standout performance with 25 kills on Summit and Sunset to end the series with 50 kills.

With this win, XLG Esports become the second team to be eliminated from Champions 2026. Nongshim RedForce will now play against Karmine Corp in the decider match of Group D, with the winner advancing to the playoffs stage. After the series, Sheep Esports had the opportunity to have a conversation with Nongshim’s IGL Goo "Rb” Sang-min.

Goo “Rb” Sang-min: I didn’t really have any second thoughts after the match wrapped up and we got our win. I was just thinking like “one more win”, and that’s all that I had in my mind.

Rb: We, of course, did our preparation against XLG. However, knowing my team, we are confident that we are good at reading the pace and adapting on the fly. I would say it’s a mix of both that helped us.

Rb: It kind of aligns with my answer to the previous question as it’s a 50-50. When I am lurking, I would say to Francis that it is a safe space for him to take. When he lurks, he relays that he is going to go and see what’s happening in the round. Our teammates take turns to see who’s best for which situation.

Rb: I actually think the level is pretty similar and we are both good teams. It will be more of a matter of who has the sharper aim, and who reads the game faster. It will mostly come down to that.

Rb: It is disappointing and problematic that we have these technical issues at Champions, which is supposed to be the best VCT tournament of the year. As for me, I think it’s really important to not let that be a factor to blame. The focus should be on what can we do with all the cards that we have been dealt in the moment, and the best thing that we can do. We are just very focused with that mentality, and we should be fine moving forward at the event.

Rb: As a former VCT China player, I know how good the players are. They have sharp aim, and are smart at reading the game. They are so smart, and can adapt, and adjust their game as they play. I know how good they are, and what they are capable of.

If they had to fix one thing, and this applies to all the teams and not just the VCT China teams, the most important thing in a tournament like this is having unity and being a team. It is important to have the right kind of communication and be open to each other regarding feedback, and have that energy to not dampen the mood. It would be really helpful for some teams if they work on their mentality and just be strong by not letting a loss get to their head. If they can fix that, I know they have a fair shot in moving forward at Champions.