Group A opened at VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai on Sunday, September 27, and both Opening Bo3s ended in clean sweeps. 100 Thieves carried Americas Stage 2 form straight into the international stage with a 2-0 over T1, then FUT Esports stomped JD Gaming 2-0 to book the other winners' slot. This guide locks the scores, vetoes, standout notes, and what happens next so you can update pick'ems without refreshing six tabs.
Primary scoreboards: 100 Thieves vs T1 on VLR and JD Gaming vs FUT Esports on VLR. Recap context from Dot Esports on the 100T win. For group draw and the full Shanghai calendar, start with our Champions Shanghai groups and schedule guide. Yesterday's Group B openers are covered in Vitality vs GE and LOUD vs EDG.
Group A at a glance after Opening matches
| Team | Opening result | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Thieves (Americas) | Beat T1 2-0 | Winners' match vs FUT |
| FUT Esports (EMEA) | Beat JD Gaming 2-0 | Winners' match vs 100T |
| T1 (Pacific) | Lost to 100 Thieves 0-2 | Elimination vs JDG |
| JD Gaming (China) | Lost to FUT 0-2 | Elimination vs T1 |
GSL dual-elimination still rules Shanghai groups: the winners' match victor locks the first playoff seed from the group, while the elimination match loser is out. Opening (A) was not a warm-up. Both series went 2-0, so half the group already has zero map wins on the board and one life left.
100 Thieves 2-0 T1: map-by-map
100 Thieves arrived as Americas Stage 2 winners and played like it. The series never needed a third map. Cryocells set the early tone, Asuna answered on the second map, and T1's duelist line struggled to find a foothold after the first half of Summit.
Veto order
- T1 banned Split
- 100 Thieves banned Lotus
- T1 picked Summit
- 100 Thieves picked Ascent
- T1 banned Haven
- 100 Thieves banned Abyss
- Sunset remained unused
Map 1 - Summit: 100 Thieves 13-8
Summit was T1's pick and 100 Thieves took it anyway. Per Dot Esports' box notes, Cryocells finished the map with 23 kills, 9 deaths, a 1.69 rating, and 289 ACS. Bang supported with a 19-8-9 line and 271 ACS. Timotino added 22 kills, and vora posted 16/10/7.
On T1's side, Meteor led with 14 kills and a 1.05 rating. Munchkin reached 17 kills, but the rest of the map never stabilized. BuZz on Neon had a brutal outing (4 kills, near-zero rating on the published sheet), which is the kind of map that ends a series plan before it starts. Final: 13-8 100 Thieves.
Map 2 - Ascent: 100 Thieves 13-9
Ascent was 100T's pick and closed the sweep. Asuna led with a 1.58 rating, 260 ACS, and 22 kills. Cryocells stayed loud with 22 kills, a 1.36 rating, and 277 ACS. Timotino recorded 17 kills; bang posted 14 kills and 13 assists; vora contributed 9 kills and 12 assists.
iZu was T1's best player on Ascent (17/12, 1.28 rating). Meteor also hit 17 kills, but Stax managed only 5 and BuZz finished with a 0.53 rating. The map stayed competitive longer than Summit, then 100T pulled away to 13-9 and the series 2-0.
Across both maps, Cryocells finished as the series standout with 45 kills and a 1.52 rating in the Dot Esports recap. 100 Thieves look like a team that brought Stage 2 habits into Champions rather than reinventing the server on day one.
FUT Esports 2-0 JD Gaming: map-by-map
The second Group A opener was even more lopsided on map one, then tightened on Summit. FUT leave Opening with two map wins and a winners' match against 100 Thieves. JDG drop into elimination with zero maps and a must-win against T1.
Veto order
- FUT banned Abyss
- JD Gaming banned Haven
- FUT picked Ascent
- JD Gaming picked Summit
- FUT banned Lotus
- JD Gaming banned Sunset
- Split remained unused
Map 1 - Ascent: FUT Esports 13-1
Ascent ended 13-1 for FUT in about 35 minutes of server time. That is not a "slow start, find your feet" Opening map. JDG's attack and defense halves both failed to string rounds, and FUT's execute timing never looked contested for long. If you only glance at Opening records later in the week, remember this map: China still needs a statement win somewhere in Shanghai, and Group A Opening was not it.
Map 2 - Summit: FUT Esports 13-10
JDG's pick produced the only competitive map of the series. Summit went the distance to 13-10 for FUT. JDG found rounds and individual spikes (jkuro and BerLIN showed up on the VLR sheet), but FUT closed when the map reached late money rounds. Series over, 2-0 FUT.
For China as a region, Opening weekend has been rough across groups. JDG still has one life in the elimination bracket against T1. That Bo3 is now a Pacific-vs-China survival series with zero Opening map wins between them on the Group A side for JDG, and a 0-2 hangover for T1.
What this means for pick'ems and brackets
If you locked T1 as a group favorite on Pacific pedigree, update the board. 100 Thieves' experience edge showed in the places underdog narratives usually collapse: early map control on the opponent's pick, then a composed closeout on their own. If you had FUT as an EMEA dark horse, the JDG sweep validates the floor hard. The Group A winners' match is now an Americas-vs-EMEA blockbuster with a direct playoff seed on the line. The elimination match is T1 vs JDG for survival.
Soft tip while you follow Shanghai: if you are bouncing between ranked and VOD review, keep your pick'ems guide open next to the VLR pages and re-check agent surprises after every winners' Bo3. This write-up stays on the tournament facts either way.
How the rest of Shanghai looks after Group A Opening
Group B already has Vitality and LOUD in the winners' bracket from September 26. Group C has Paper Rex and G2 from September 24. Group D saw NRG and Karmine Corp sweep openers on September 25. Group A's winners' and elimination matches are the next hinge for this side of the draw. Playoffs remain scheduled for the second half of the event at Mercedes-Benz Arena after groups finish at Jing'an.
Practical watch tips for the Group A winners' and elimination slate:
- Expect 100T to keep leaning on Cryocells and Asuna for first-blood and mid-round trades; FUT just proved they can punish a slow start for 13 rounds straight.
- Track whether T1 swaps the Neon look after BuZz's Summit disaster, or doubles down.
- Re-check veto habits. Summit hosted three maps across the two Group A openers (one win for 100T, one win for FUT, one loss for T1's pick). It is still deciding series this week.
- Conduct rules from Day 1 still apply on broadcast. Refresh the Playing with Respect / teabagging ban brief if you missed the enforcement notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Group A Opening matches on September 27?
100 Thieves beat T1 2-0 (Summit 13-8, Ascent 13-9). FUT Esports beat JD Gaming 2-0 (Ascent 13-1, Summit 13-10). Confirm box scores on the linked VLR match pages.
When do 100 Thieves and FUT play next?
They meet in the Group A winners' match. The winner locks the group's first playoff qualification path under the GSL format. Check the official schedule and VLR for the exact Shanghai start time.
Are T1 and JD Gaming eliminated?
Not yet. Both drop to the Group A elimination match. The loser of that Bo3 is eliminated from Champions Shanghai; the winner stays alive toward the second group playoff slot.
What was the 100 Thieves vs T1 map veto?
T1 banned Split, 100 Thieves banned Lotus, T1 picked Summit, 100 Thieves picked Ascent, T1 banned Haven, 100 Thieves banned Abyss, Sunset remained.
What was the FUT vs JDG map veto?
FUT banned Abyss, JDG banned Haven, FUT picked Ascent, JDG picked Summit, FUT banned Lotus, JDG banned Sunset, Split remained.
Who stood out for 100 Thieves?
Cryocells was the series standout in the Dot Esports recap (45 kills, 1.52 rating), with a monster Summit map. Asuna led Ascent. Bang and Timotino supported both maps.
Where is Champions 2026 played?
Group stage matches are at Jing'an Sports Center in Shanghai. Playoffs move to Mercedes-Benz Arena later in the event window (groups began September 24; playoffs run into mid-October per the published event calendar).
Where should I verify official scores?
Use Riot's VALORANT Esports broadcast and the VLR match pages linked above. Secondary recaps are useful for quotes and ACS color, but scoreboards should match VLR or the official feed before you update a pick'em.
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