KRÜ Blaze dropped the first map and then took the next three on Saturday 31 October. The win reverses their upper bracket semi-final defeat to Shopify Rebellion Gold and sends the Argentine-based side into the final of the VCT Game Changers Championship 2026. Shopify Rebellion Gold’s campaign ends with the loss.
The result also cuts against the power rankings. Shopify Rebellion Gold arrived as the 10th-ranked team with a rating of 1782. KRÜ Blaze sit 20th on 1742, although their 63-21 record across 84 rated matches is the stronger of the two.
Three straight maps after a 47-minute opener
Shopify Rebellion Gold struck first, taking a 47-minute opening map. KRÜ Blaze levelled on the quickest map of the series, which lasted 37 minutes, and edged ahead with a 50-minute third.
The fourth map was by some distance the longest of the night at 70 minutes. KRÜ Blaze closed it out to settle the best-of-five without needing a decider.
The meeting on 27 October had been far more one-sided. Shopify Rebellion Gold won that upper bracket semi-final 2-0, which pushed KRÜ Blaze into the lower half of the draw. Before that, KRÜ Blaze had opened their playoff run by beating Gen.G GC 2-1 in the upper bracket quarter-finals.
KRÜ Blaze’s lower bracket run reaches three wins
Saturday’s victory was KRÜ Blaze’s third successive series win in the lower bracket. Both earlier wins were sweeps. They beat Team Liquid Brazil 2-0 in the quarter-finals, then dispatched MIBR GC by the same score in the semi-finals.
That run means they have won seven of the eight maps played since dropping out of the upper bracket. They also came into the event as winners of the Latin America regional final, where they beat Akave Esports Black 3-1.
Shopify Rebellion Gold bow out after back-to-back defeats
Shopify Rebellion Gold had looked well placed earlier in the week. They beat SK Nebula 2-0 in the upper bracket quarter-finals, followed it with the win over KRÜ Blaze and came into the championship off two series wins over FlyQuest RED in the North America Stage 2 competition.
The upper bracket final turned that around. Gentle Mates GC beat them 2-1 to claim the direct place in the final. Saturday’s loss means the North American side finish the event on two consecutive series defeats.
KRÜ Blaze now face Gentle Mates GC on Sunday 1 November, the closing day of the championship. Gentle Mates GC reached the final unbeaten in the playoffs. They swept MIBR GC 2-0 in the upper bracket semi-finals before their win over Shopify Rebellion Gold.
Read also: Gentle Mates GC come from a map down to beat Shopify Rebellion Gold and reach Game Changers final
