100 Thieves have been crowned Valorant champions at the Esports World Cup 2026, taking home the top prize of $600,000 after a hard-fought run through the playoffs in Paris, France.
Road to the Title
The Esports World Cup returned for its third edition this summer, relocating from Riyadh to France. Sixteen of the world’s best Valorant teams battled through a group stage and knockout bracket at the Paris Masters-level event.
Defending champions Team Heretics fell in the quarter-finals to BBL Esports in a three-game series, ending their title defense. Heretics had the home crowd behind them in a 16-14 first-map thriller, but couldn’t close out the series.
Quarter-Final Drama
NRG also advanced past Gentle Mates in a back-and-forth series — Mates took the first map 13-11 before NRG stormed back with 13-9 and 13-10 wins. Both Heretics and Gentle Mates finished in the 5th-8th range, each taking home $90,000.
What It Means
The $600,000 prize for 100 Thieves marks one of the biggest single-tournament payouts in Valorant esports this year, and a statement win for the North American organization on the global stage.