Four years later, LOUD are world champions again. A 3–1 victory over Team Vitality in the VALORANT Champions 2026 grand final on October 18 made them the first organisation to win the competition twice. At Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, a new generation delivered a trophy to stand alongside the one won in 2022.
Their journey had nearly taken a different turn. After beating EDward Gaming 2–0, LOUD lost to Vitality in Group B and faced an elimination match against Global Esports.
They answered with a 2–0 win and never lost another series. Paper Rex fell next, followed by defending champions NRG. In the upper final, LOUD recovered from a map down to beat Vitality 2–1, earning another shot at the title.
When Vitality returned through the lower bracket, the rivalry had one chapter left. Both teams had beaten the other. Only one would leave Shanghai with the trophy.
The final began with LOUD staring at a 9–3 halftime deficit on Summit. They fought back on defence, allowing Vitality just two more rounds before completing a 13–11 comeback.
Vitality levelled the series with a 13–8 win on Lotus. But from 5–2 down on Sunset, LOUD took control with 11 consecutive round wins, securing the map 13–5 as tkzin contributed 26 kills.
Haven brought them within touching distance. LOUD turned a 6–6 first half into a 12–7 lead, then watched Vitality save three championship points. On the fourth attempt, they finished the job, winning 13–10. tkzin ended the final with a series-leading 77 kills, according to the VLR match statistics.
erde Dedicates LOUD’s Championship Victory to His Mother
Afterwards, captain erde revealed that his mother had died two days before LOUD’s opening match against EDward Gaming. She had been dealing with an illness, and he said her passing came as a shock because he believed she had been doing well.
“I dedicate this tournament to her. I only play for her,” he said, as reported by Esports.gg. As LOUD celebrated together, erde made sure his mother was part of that moment too.