10.18.26 - 2:57 PM10.18.2026 - 2:57 PM·10m10 minute(s) read·
By Rabia Sayal
LOUD Darker: "I've always admired Faker [...] Much of what I've achieved is because of him"
LOUD made history by defeating Team Vitality 3-1 in the VALORANT Champions Shanghai Grand Final to claim its second Champions title. Following the final, both teams reflected on their tournament runs, key moments, team growth and memorable experiences at the event.
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LOUD become the first team in history to win two VALORANT Champions titles
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The biggest tournament in the VCT calendar has finally concluded, with LOUD defeating Team Vitality 3-1 in the VALORANT Champions Shanghai Grand Final to lift the ultimate trophy. With this victory, the Brazilian organisation has become the first team to win two Champions titles, doing so with the youngest roster in the history. Roberto "erde" Lobos was named the tournament MVP, which makes him the youngest player and the only IGL so far to win the award.
For Team Vitality, this has been a successful run, as the team achieved its highest-ever finish at an international VCT event. This was also Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov’s third appearance in a Champions Grand Final, which further establishes his legacy as one of the best VALORANT players of all time since he began competing in the VCT with Gambit Esports.
After the best-of-five Grand Final, both teams attended the final press conference of Champions Shanghai to discuss LOUD's historic victory, their respective journeys, memorable moments and much more.
Questions For Team Vitality
Looking back on your run at Champions Shanghai and finishing second, what's the biggest lesson you'll take away from this tournament?
Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev: “We came here with no expectations and focused on working hard every day, taking it match by match. That was fun because there was no pressure and before we knew it, we were in the Grand Final. Of course, we wanted to win, but we didn't get the trophy. Still, the overall experience was great, especially since I'd never played in a Champions Grand Final before. Considering everything that happened over the past few months, reaching this point is still a good achievement, even though it hurts a lot.”
Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov: “Honestly, I'm happy, even though losing obviously hurts. Looking back at our journey, as I've said multiple times, we didn't really deserve to be here based on how things were going. We came into this tournament on a Cinderella run and finished in the top two. None of us expected this at any point in our journey. You always want to aim high, but sometimes situations and problems force you to put those dreams aside.
I'm proud of everyone because we all sacrificed a lot to reach this point. Those sacrifices changed our trajectory, taking us from one of the worst teams heading into the tournament to one of the best. We also put up a great fight in the Grand Final. It hurts that we couldn't close it out. We could have taken the series to map five if we hadn't lost Sunset, or perhaps winning that map would have made things easier. Either way, I'm proud of what we achieved.”
Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu: “I'm sad because I wanted to win, but that's just my mentality. I'll get over it in a couple of days. It's still a great achievement. As Chronicle (Timofey Khromov) and Derke (Nikita Sirmitev) said, we weren't expected to be here, but we took our chance, performed well and almost won. It was a close game.”
Dawid "PROFEK" Święć: “This tournament was a valuable experience. I had no expectations coming in, but we finished in the top two. Losing hurts, but I'm happy we got the opportunity to play in the Grand Final and compete for the trophy. Unfortunately, LOUD were the better team and deserved the win.”
Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen: “My biggest takeaway is how impactful it can be when five people are willing to put the team's interests above their own. This group has never been so united, both in how we play on the server and how we interact outside it. The way we treat each other has had a huge impact on our team chemistry and performances. It's been an incredible journey and I've probably been happier playing VALORANT than ever before because this team has been amazing. Seeing the team grow together has been my biggest takeaway.”
Gregor "PAL" Morton: “I want these guys to look back fondly on how much we've grown together as a group over the past five weeks. Compared to the previous five months, the improvement has been massive and we saw that in our performances as well. Hopefully, everyone has had a fantastic time. It's a shame we couldn't finish the job, but our goal was to come here and enjoy ourselves. We also wanted to finish the season feeling proud of what we could achieve. I think we've absolutely smashed both goals.”
Aleksey "slk" Lynksov: “It's a great result and it's not the end of the world. It's just a game and I'm proud of everyone on my team. Everyone made sacrifices and we did everything we could. As Chronicle (Timofey Khromov) said, nobody expected us to go this deep into the tournament. It's disappointing not to win, but we should keep moving forward while holding on to the positive emotions. This tournament and the boys' performances were incredible and I'm proud of everyone.”
Benjamin "Scuttt" Hutchinson: “I agree with everyone else. The result isn't the most important thing; it's what we do and how we carry ourselves. We worked exceptionally hard and well together and everyone involved should be proud, including the people behind the scenes who supported us.”
After your run with BBL ended, you said your biggest regret was not getting to know your teammates better. How has this year been different and do you feel you've overcome that regret?
PAL: “Making it to an international event this year was a good start! More seriously, this team was built and managed very differently from the one we were part of last year, so it's difficult to compare them. I think our success at this tournament came from everyone understanding what makes each person tick by the time we established our identity. Scuttt and slk did a fantastic job of understanding how each individual performs best on the server and building our approach around that. Jamppi has also done a brilliant job over the past six weeks of growing as a leader, both through his in-game calling and by understanding what it means to serve the team.
I'm particularly proud of getting to know everyone better and helping them reach the next level. I'd say I've addressed that regret, although there's still room for improvement. I could have done more for these guys individually and as a group, as could all of us. Overall, though, I'm happy with our progress.
What was the most critical moment today that shifted the series in LOUD's favour?
PAL: I think it was round three of the second half on Haven. Some people might point to Summit, but we put ourselves in a great position to win that map. Unfortunately, it resembled what happened when we first played them on Summit. That loss didn't affect the team's confidence, though. We went into Lotus feeling confident and performed as expected. On Sunset, we messed around and found out! It was fun and things looked promising at the start. We finished the first half of Haven in a solid position, but I think the pressure started to build after that third round of the second half. Even then, we had some great moments and fought back in the later rounds. If I had to identify a turning point, that would be it.”
Jamppi: “I'm not sure there was a single moment that changed everything. As PAL mentioned, we lost our lead after being 9-3 up in the first half of the series' second half. Honestly, I think it came down to the final round. Even on the fourth map, we had some crucial rounds, but it never felt like the game had slipped away from us. We were still playing our game and the series felt close. From my perspective, there wasn't a clear turning point where everything suddenly shifted.”
This is your third second-place finish in a Champions Grand Final. Do you still have the motivation to keep chasing the trophy?
Chronicle: “Of course. We'll keep trying every year. I've heard inspiring stories from other esports about players who spent their entire careers chasing a Champions trophy, Champions being the analogy. For me, Champions is the only trophy missing from my collection, so why not keep going? Finishing in the top two multiple times is still an achievement, especially given how consistently I've reached Grand Finals. I just wish I weren't so consistent at finishing second and could secure first place instead! Looking back at how our season unfolded, though, finishing second is already an achievement and I'm happy with what we've accomplished.
What's your most memorable moment from Champions Shanghai?
Chronicle: For me, it was our first match against LOUD. That was when we realised we could make a deep run because LOUD were already a strong team and we found ways to punish them in several situations. That experience also helped us later in the tournament, making the match particularly important.”
Jamppi: “My favourite moment was seeing everyone enjoying themselves before the Grand Final and reflecting on how far we'd come. Our sauna sessions were also great. I appreciate everyone who was part of this journey.”
PAL: “Mine was a small moment slk (Aleksey Lynksov) and I shared during the opening ceremony. He turned to me and said how privileged we were to witness the end of the franchising era together, knowing our players were about to walk onto the stage with a chance to win it all. That moment really stood out to me.”
slk: “For me, it was experiencing a LAN event like this in person for the first time. That's something I'll remember forever.”
Questions For LOUD
On maps one and three, you faced significant deficits early on but managed to complete the comebacks. How did you adjust in those difficult situations and what communication helped you turn things around?
Roberto "erde" Lobos: “We were playing a little scared and not showing our usual level of confidence. It's normal to feel tense or anxious in a Grand Final. I was frustrated, so we discussed it during the half-time huddle. I spoke to everyone and they agreed with me. From that point onwards, we started winning everything. Being honest with each other and communicating openly helped us fix the problem.
You're the youngest and the only IGL to win the MVP award at an international event. How does this achievement distinguish you from other Tier 1 IGLs and what does it mean to you personally?
erde: It feels amazing. I set this goal at the beginning of the year when I learned I would be an IGL, so accomplishing it feels incredible. It also feels good to achieve something unique. I'm the only person in the world to have done this, which makes the moment even more special. There are times in my life when I don't feel particularly special, so this is a truly unique achievement for me.
You've been called the "Child of Prophecy" for a while and it's a great nickname. Can you give each of your teammates an equally interesting nickname?
erde: For Bati (Miguel Batista), I'd say Sulley from Monsters, Inc. For Romanilly (Gonzalo Manzano), maybe that Argentinian party guy! For DaviH (David Cruz), I'd call him the "Low-Vocabulary Guy" because he's the special kid who doesn't say much. Darker (Juan Castro Cicuamia) is an aura farmer. He's always trying to look cool, sometimes even going for one-taps during a tournament. Bro, you don't have to do that! tkzin (Enzo Zimiani) is just a special guy. He's really weird and lukxo (Lucca Travaioli) is like Cristiano Ronaldo. He's very self-centred and doesn't care too much about anything else. He's just playing for himself and that's his role.”
You've often spoken about your admiration for Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and his career. He also won a World Championship during his rookie season and you've now achieved something the same. How does that feel?
Juan "Darker" Castro Cicuamia: “I'm incredibly happy. Not everyone gets to experience this feeling and it's truly special. I've always admired Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) since the beginning of my career and I believe much of what I've achieved is because of him and the lessons I've learned from following his journey. Now, I want to keep following that path and hopefully win more trophies.”
You know Leviatán players quite well. What was your reaction when you watched them win at Masters London? Did you ever imagine where your own career might take you?
Lucca "lukxo" Travaioli: “I was incredibly happy when I saw them lift the trophy. I remember thinking, "Oh my God, that happened so quickly!" I was genuinely happy for them. At the same time, I wished I were on that team, playing alongside them. We'd discussed our potential futures and where we might end up as players. Now that I've lifted my own trophy, I don't have much else to say. I'm happy and I believe in both their abilities and my own. Perhaps we'll get the opportunity to play together again in the future.
During the opening ceremony, you lifted your shirt to reveal the message, "One day, it could be you. Believe!" What inspired that message?
lukxo: Not long ago, we were far from becoming world champions. We would sit together, discuss our futures and wonder what we would do with our lives because, at the time, winning a world title felt like a secondary dream. Now, we're here and we're the champions. I want people to understand that they need to dedicate themselves to their goals and believe that their time will come. One day, they could become champions too.
When you eliminated Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov with that final shot and saw the victory screen appear, what went through your mind? Was the moment everything you'd imagined?
lukxo: It's difficult to describe what I'm feeling right now. I'm only beginning to process what happened and realise that we've actually become world champions. When I hit the shot that eliminated him, I thought, "We did it! We've become champions!" Now, I'm trying to process everything that's happening and take in as much of this positive energy as possible.”
