LOUD return to the Champions final after four years

LOUD are back in a VALORANT Champions grand final for the first time since 2022. They beat Team Vitality 2–1 in the upper final on 16 October, securing the first place in Sunday’s title match in Shanghai.

Vitality took Lotus 13–8, but LOUD answered with a 13–5 win on Summit and closed the series 13–11 on Haven. Vitality move to the lower final with another chance to qualify.

A playoff run through established contenders

LOUD had already beaten Paper Rex 2–0 and NRG 2–1 in the playoffs. THESPIKE’s season recap also traces a sharp improvement: an 11th–12th finish at Americas Kickoff and 7th–8th in Stage 1 preceded a runner-up finish in Stage 2.

Our reading: the comeback against Vitality gives that improvement a concrete endpoint to measure. LOUD have reached the final through the upper bracket; the remaining test is turning that place into a championship.

The final is on 18 October

Riot’s official preview places finals weekend at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, with the grand final on 18 October. The broadcast will also reveal a new agent before the title match, giving viewers another reason to arrive before the first round.