Nongshim RedForce is showcasing a fiery performance against global heavyweights in the playoffs of ‘Valorant Masters Santiago’ underway in Santiago, Chile.

Competing at ‘Masters Santiago’ as the No. 1 seed from VCT Pacific, Nongshim RedForce has continued an unbeaten run with a commanding first-seed-caliber performance.

Nongshim RedForce

On Day 1 of the playoffs on the 7th, Nongshim RedForce met Gentle Mates (M8), the opponent they had chosen, and a one-two punch from ‘Ivy’ Park Seong-hyeon and ‘Dambi’ Lee Hyuk-gyu produced a clean 2-0 set win. In set 1 on ‘Haven’, Park Seong-hyeon played Killjoy and led the team with 24 kills, contributing to a 13-10 round score win, and in set 2 on ‘Korod’, Lee Hyuk-gyu played Neon and showed explosive killing ability in the second half to complete a comeback.

Nongshim RedForce kept up the momentum in Upper Bracket Round 2 on the 10th. Facing G2 Esports (G2), the Americas No. 2 seed that reached the playoffs by defeating T1 in the play-in, Nongshim fell short of its best in set 1, but in set 2 the Neon of Lee Hyuk-gyu and the Viper of Park Seong-hyeon combined for 42 kills to win 13-7 and level the series. In set 3 on ‘Split’, Nongshim RedForce took rounds from the sixth to the twelfth in a row and seemed on course for a routine win, but could not shake the relentless pursuit by G2 and went to overtime. In overtime, the shooting touch returned across the boardfrom the Yoru of ‘Francis’ Kim Mu-bin, to the Fade of ‘Xross’ Jeong Hwan, to the Omen of ‘Rb‘ Gu Sang-minsecuring a 14-12 win and, with a final set score of 2-1, beating G2 Esports to reach the upper bracket final.

Paper Rex, which is also representing the Pacific and competing in the playoffs alongside Nongshim RedForce, lost 0-2 to NRG in Upper Bracket Round 2 and dropped to the lower bracket, but in Lower Bracket Round 2 on the 11th, after conceding set 1 to All Gamers, the China No. 1 seed, it won sets 2 and 3 back-to-back to stay alive.

Nongshim RedForce will face NRG, the 2025 Champions titleholder, in the upper bracket final on the 14th. NRG is a burdensome opponent for Nongshim RedForce, which has limited international experience, but if Nongshim maintains the level of play shown so far, it can extend the upsets by taking down NRG as well.

If Paper Rex, which meets G2 in the lower bracket, also continues to surge, a grand final between the two Pacific representatives is possible. If a Nongshim RedForce vs Paper Rex final materializes, the Pacific would become the region that has won four Masters events in a row: 2024 Masters Shanghai, 2025 Masters Bangkok and Toronto, and 2026 Masters Santiago.

A special event has also been prepared to share the heat of ‘Masters Santiago’ with fans in Korea. Riot Games Korea will hold a viewing party for about 110 fans at ‘SamLions’ in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, timed to the day Nongshim RedForce plays during the Masters Santiago finals weekend schedule. If it wins the upper bracket final on the 14th, the viewing party will be held on the 16th; if it loses, the viewing party will take place on the 15th. If Nongshim RedForce wins on the 15th, there will also be a viewing party on the 16th for the final. On the 14th, 110 people will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, and on the 15th and 16th it will be by advance reservation.