Vortex Gaming

· The 2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff was hailed as the most intense tournament ever, with 30 matches and 79 maps played over 16 days.
· Thanks to the newly introduced triple-elimination format, teams showed growth and improvement in every match.
· Ultimately, Nongshim, T1, and Paper Rex secured their spots in Masters Santiago.

· RRQ maintained an undefeated streak until the upper bracket finals but unfortunately lost 2-3 to Nongshim. They then suffered a crushing 0-3 defeat to T1 and a 1-3 loss to Paper Rex, leading to their elimination. However, their tenacity solidified their status as a strong team.
· Nongshim, after being relegated in 2024 and returning through Ascension in 2025, transformed into a completely different team. They successively defeated Team Secret, T1, Full Sense, and RRQ to earn their first international tournament spot. At Masters Santiago, they made history by winning undefeated, dropping only one map.
· T1 was reborn as a dream team with the return of IGL Munchkin. Despite an shaky start, they gradually defeated top-tier teams, showcasing their super team potential. Although their performance at Masters was disappointing, they are a team with a promising future.
· Paper Rex showed an unstable performance early in the Kickoff, and new player Envy struggled to adapt. However, they went on a 4-match winning streak from the brink of elimination to secure the final Masters ticket, reaching the Masters Santiago finals and demonstrating strong resilience.

· DFM's Aame shone as a true entertainer, like Benkai, showcasing enjoyable workouts by swapping places with his coach or appearing with teammate Kaidde.
· Gen.G's texture entertained fans with his relentless pursuit of an ace. His agonizing reactions when teammates stole his final kill, preventing an ace, always became a hot topic.
· There were also many heartwarming moments where players showed genuine respect for their opponents during matches, bringing smiles to Pacific fans.

· This Kickoff saw a total of 73 Thrifty rounds, averaging 2.43 per match, a significant increase compared to 2025. Notably, the match between Nongshim and Full Sense featured 5 consecutive Thriftys.
· f0rsakeN broke the record for most kills in a single VCT Pacific match with 79 kills against RRQ. He also set a new record for kill-death differential at +41 (79 kills, 38 deaths).
· Patman set a new record for single-map ACS with 516 against DFM, emerging as a key player for Global Esports.
· Global Esports, a team that previously managed 3-4 wins in an entire year, secured 3 wins in this Kickoff alone, coming close to qualifying for Masters Santiago. However, it remains to be seen if Coach Frost's 'win-loss-win-loss' pattern will continue.

· Superstars
· f0rsakeN: The region's best aimer and one of the world's most flexible players, he led his team to Masters Santiago and secured an ace in the final series.
· Dambi: The world's best Neon player and a Masters trophy winner.

· Rookies
· Autumn: Despite it being his rookie season in Pacific, his experience from China allowed him to perform much better in the Pacific region.
· Kaidde: Made a transformative impact at DFM, significantly influencing the team.
· XROS: Joined Nongshim RedForce from Ascension, won the Masters trophy, and performed exceptionally well, being considered a candidate for Tournament MVP.
· Jav8K: Made significant contributions to Global Esports' success, with more expected from him in Stage 1.

· The Pacific Kickoff was a continuous series of upsets and miracles, showing that the gap between teams has narrowed and weak teams have almost disappeared.
· With various changes planned for Stage 1, including the Yoru nerf, the addition of new agent Clove, and the return of Lotus and Fracture to the map pool, it is expected to be a fierce battle.
· As a Grand Final between Pacific teams materialized at Masters Santiago, the eyes of the world are now focused on the Pacific region.