Nongshim RedForce Misses VCT Pacific 2027 Partnership

Nongshim RedForce will compete in VALORANT in 2027 without a place in the VCT Pacific partnership program. CEO Evans Oh confirmed the decision in a statement published Monday, Oct. 19.

The South Korean organization joined VCT Pacific in 2025 after reaching the Ascension Pacific grand final. It had its strongest season in 2026, winning VCT Pacific Kickoff and qualifying for Masters Santiago. Nongshim defeated Paper Rex 3-0 in the grand final in Chile.

The title made Nongshim the first team from the Ascension system to win an international VALORANT Masters event. The team later finished third at the 2026 Esports World Cup and reached the VCT Pacific Stage 2 grand final, where Global Esports won 3-2.

Nongshim also qualified for Champions 2026 in Shanghai. It advanced from the group stage before playoff losses to Team Vitality and 100 Thieves.

In his statement, Oh wrote that Nongshim’s application for the 2027 program contained more than 110 slides. The proposal covered the organization’s growth plans, marketing projects, expansion through more than 160 RedForce PC Arenas and support from parent company Nongshim.

Oh described Riot Games’ evaluation as “rigorous and fair” and congratulated the South Korean organizations selected for the program. He accepted responsibility for the result and apologized to supporters, adding that he could have done more to expand Nongshim’s global presence.

The organization will lose the financial support and other benefits available to partnered teams, including revenue from in-game Team Capsules. Riot is reducing the number of partnered organizations in each international league from 10 to eight for the next two-year cycle. The program will have 32 teams across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China.

Nongshim can continue competing in VCT through open qualifiers and pursue places in regional and international events. Oh confirmed plans to reassess the team’s roster and competitive targets while continuing its fan community and content projects. The organization intends to use the next two years to strengthen its operations and seek a future place in the partnership program.

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