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Nongshim RedForce knocked out Team Vitality 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup VALORANT 2026, sending one of Europe’s seeded contenders home early from the Paris-based tournament. The match, played on July 10 in a best-of-three format across Ascent, Split, and Breeze, showcased NS RedForce’s tactical flexibility against a Vitality roster that was supposed to have home-crowd advantage. The Pacific region qualifier moved on to join G2 Esports and Gentle Mates in the next round of a tournament carrying a $75 million total prize pool, with $2 million allocated specifically to the VALORANT bracket.
Why crypto cares about a VALORANT match
The EWC 2026 marks the first time crypto exchanges have been permitted to officially sponsor the event, with Coinbase and Bitget both securing deals under France’s recently updated regulatory framework for digital asset advertising.
No blockchain or token integrations were built directly into the VALORANT matches themselves. The sponsorship precedent matters far more than any in-game gimmick would.
Prediction markets light up on tournament upsets
The Nongshim RedForce victory also rippled through prediction markets. Platforms like Polymarket saw a notable surge in trading activity tied to EWC outcomes, with the kind of unexpected results that make bettors and speculators salivate.
What NS RedForce’s run means for the bracket
Nongshim RedForce has recorded recent victories against high-caliber opponents including Gen.G and G2. Their 2-1 win over Vitality went the distance across Ascent, Split, and Breeze. For Team Vitality, the early elimination stings, as they entered as a seeded European contender playing at home in Paris.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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