KRÜ Blaze have taken down Gentle Mates GC in the grand final of the Valorant Game Changers Championship 2026 to lift the prestigious trophy. With this victory, they became the first LATAM team to win the Championship, and the first ever to win it after dropping out of the upper bracket.
The grand final clash between KRÜ Blaze and Gentle Mates GC was intense, and it went the full distance, ultimately ending 3-2 in favor of KRÜ Blaze. Here’s everything that went down in the nail-biter series.
Map Veto
- Gentle Mates GC bans Lotus
- Gentle Mates GC bans Summit
- Gentle Mates GC picks Haven
- KRÜ Blaze picks Abyss
- Gentle Mates GC picks Sunset
- KRÜ Blaze picks Split
- Ascent was left over
Map 1: Haven (Pick: KRÜ Blaze, Win: Gentle Mates GC, Final Score: 13-5)
Despite getting a head start and grabbing the first three rounds, KRÜ Blaze failed to maintain their momentum as Gentle Mates GC retaliated hard, dominating over the rest of the half and leading 7-5 as the teams swapped sides. Gentle Mates’ domination continued through the second half as well, as they didn’t drop a single round on their T-side and ended the game with a score of 13-5.
Map 2: Abyss (Pick: Gentle Mates GC, Win: KRÜ Blaze, Final Score: 13-5)
Once again, KRÜ Blaze secured themselves a head start by grabbing the first four rounds back-to-back. Gentle Mates GC tried to fight back, but KRÜ Blaze didn’t want to let go of the driver’s seat this time around as they pushed through the first half of their opposition’s map pick with a solid 8-4 lead. Dropping only a single round in the second half, KRÜ Blaze secured Abyss with a 13-5 score.
Map 3: Sunset (Pick: KRÜ Blaze, Win: KRÜ Blaze, Final Score: 14-12)
Map three ran for an entire hour, though the first half gave little hint of it. KRÜ Blaze dominated the opening rounds, going into the break with a commanding 10-2 lead. Unfortunately for them, Gentle Mates GC also put up an equally strong defence on Sunset, leaving no room for error as they pushed the game into overtime with a 10-2 half of their own. Ultimately, KRÜ Blaze had the last laugh as they secured both overtime rounds to take the third map for themselves.
Map 4: Split (Pick: Gentle Mates GC, Win: Gentle Mates GC, Final Score: 13-8)
KRÜ Blaze looked to secure the series as they got themselves an early lead after taking the pistol-round, but Gentle Mates GC weren’t willing to go without a fight. The two teams clashed back and forth as the game went into the second half with an even 6-6 score. The second half is where Gentle Mates GC picked up the pace, dropping only two rounds before taking the game 13-8.
Map 5: Ascent (Win: Gentle Mates GC, Final Score: 13-8)
It all came down to Ascent in the decider, and KRÜ Blaze looked well prepared. They opened with a solid 7-5 half on defence, then carried that momentum into the second half, picking apart Gentle Mates GC’s defence to close out the map 13-8.
KRÜ Blaze’s Amaro “tok1o” Miranda was crowned the MVP of the series after dropping a whopping 84 kills over the course of the series.
KRÜ Blaze’s route to the final was much harder than Gentle Mates’. SR Gold beat them 2-0 in the upper bracket semifinals, which sent them to the lower bracket. From there, they went on to beat MIBR GC 2-0, then beat SR Gold 3-1 in the lower bracket final to set up a grand final against Gentle Mates GC.
Gentle Mates GC had reached the final without dropping a series at the event, so this was their first defeat of the Championship.
