Nongshim RedForce eyes historic VCT double after Esports World Cup upset over Team Vitality
The Korean Valorant squad knocked off Team Vitality 2-1 at EWC 2026, but star player Dambi says the real targets are VCT Masters and Champions in the same year.
Nongshim RedForce just beat one of European Valorant’s biggest names on an international stage, and their star player is already looking past it. Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu told Dot Esports after the quarterfinal that the Esports World Cup win over Team Vitality is a waypoint, not a destination.
The destination? Becoming the first roster in competitive Valorant history to win both a VCT Masters title and the Champions crown in the same calendar year. For a team that entered the international circuit through Riot Games’ Ascension pathway, that kind of ambition would have sounded delusional twelve months ago. It doesn’t anymore.
From Ascension underdogs to tournament favorites
Nongshim RedForce took down Team Vitality 2-1 on July 10 at EWC 2026, advancing through the quarterfinals of a Valorant bracket carrying a $2 million prize pool. The overall Esports World Cup event features $75 million in total prizes across all titles, making it one of the largest purses in competitive gaming history.
But the EWC result only adds to a year that was already historic. Back on March 15, Nongshim swept Paper Rex 3-0 to win VCT Masters Santiago 2026, collecting $350,000 and 6 VCT circuit points. That victory made them the first team promoted through the Ascension pathway to ever win an international Masters trophy.
Now Nongshim wants to do it again at Champions, the sport’s year-end championship event. No team has ever completed the Masters-Champions double in a single season.
What this means for investors watching the esports-crypto intersection
The gap between esports and crypto continues to narrow, but it’s worth noting what doesn’t exist yet. There’s no widely traded token directly tied to Valorant esports outcomes or team equity. The current investment surface area is mostly indirect: crypto exchanges sponsoring events, betting platforms processing wagers, and blockchain-based fan engagement tools trying to find product-market fit.
Consider the trajectory. Nongshim RedForce went from Ascension graduates to Masters champions in a matter of months. Their $350,000 Masters prize was the largest payout for any Ascension-promoted team. Now they’re competing for a share of EWC’s $2 million Valorant pot while simultaneously positioning for the biggest event on the calendar: Champions.