100 Thieves Sweep T1 2-0 in VALORANT Champions 2026 Opener

100 Thieves have opened their VALORANT Champions 2026 campaign with a 2-0 win over T1, taking Summit 13-8 before closing Ascent 13-9.

The VCT Americas Stage 2 champions carried their domestic form into Shanghai, with Cryocells finishing the series on 45 kills and 23 deaths. The victory moves 100 Thieves into the Group A winners match, where they will face FUT Esports for a place in the playoffs.

T1 chose Summit and recovered well after falling 5-1 behind early in the map. Six consecutive rounds swung the half in their favor, giving the Pacific side a 7-5 advantage before the teams switched sides. That lead disappeared quickly once 100 Thieves moved onto attack.

They won eight of the next nine rounds, with Cryocells producing a particularly strong Chamber performance as T1 struggled to stop the momentum. The final six rounds all went to 100 Thieves, turning what had been a competitive first half into a 13-8 opening-map victory.

Cryocells finished Summit with 23 kills and nine deaths, while bang and Timotino also helped 100 Thieves take control after halftime.

Ascent followed a different route but ended with another strong finish from 100 Thieves. T1 stayed within reach throughout the map and eventually brought the score back to 9-9. With the series still within reach, 100 Thieves responded by taking the final four rounds without reply.

Asuna and Cryocells provided much of the closing pressure, while 100 Thieves avoided giving T1 the chance to force a third map. The 13-9 result completed the sweep and left Sunset unused as the planned decider.

Cryocells ended the two-map series as the leading fragger, maintaining the individual form he showed during 100 Thieves' run through the Americas playoffs.

100 Thieves reached Champions after winning VCT Americas Stage 2 earlier in September, beating Leviatán and NRG without dropping a map before defeating LOUD 3-2 in the grand final.

The T1 victory extends that run into their first Champions appearance since 2022. It also gives 100 Thieves a direct opportunity to qualify for the playoffs without dropping into the lower side of Group A.

Their next opponent, FUT Esports, also opened the group with a 2-0 win, beating JD Gaming on September 27. The two teams meet on September 30, with the winner advancing to the Champions playoffs.

T1 will instead face JD Gaming in the Group A elimination match on October 2, where the losing team will be knocked out of the tournament.