VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1 Playoffs Day 1: G2 Esports Through, MIBR Eliminated
The VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1 Playoffs kicked off in Los Angeles. The first matches of the bracket stage played out on May 21, setting up the first semifinalists.
VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1 Playoffs opened on Wednesday at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Quarterfinal day delivered clear results: G2 Esports and 100 Thieves advance to the semifinals, Sentinels and MIBR are eliminated.
G2 Esports 2:0 Sentinels
G2 Esports confirmed their status as the best team of the group stage, dismissing Sentinels without dropping a map. On Map 1 (Ascent), G2 dominated the attack side: 13:7, led by the best Initiator performance in the series (23/10/12 in finale form). Map 2 (Haven) was closer — 13:11 after two overtime rounds — but G2 held the close thanks to perfect post-plant play.
Series MVP: G2's Duelist, who finished with an ACS (Average Combat Score) of 287 — the highest of any of the eight players across both matches.
For Sentinels, this playoff marks a second consecutive early exit. After several key player transfers in the offseason, the team still can't recapture their previous level.
100 Thieves 2:1 MIBR
The more dramatic match: MIBR took Map 1 (Split) 13:9 and looked like the favorite. However, 100 Thieves regrouped, taking Sunset 13:8 and the deciding Bind 13:10 in a tense finish.
MIBR dropped two consecutive rounds due to a weak eco-round at a critical moment on Bind. The team exits with a 5–7 finish, casting doubt on the roster's stability heading into the next split.
Semifinals Schedule
VCT Americas Stage 1 Playoffs semifinals:
- May 22: G2 Esports vs. NRG Esports (17:00 UTC)
- May 22: 100 Thieves vs. Cloud9 (20:00 UTC)
The final is scheduled for May 25. The Americas Stage 1 winner receives a direct invite to Champions 2026 with top seeding.