Nongshim RedForce are set to make their return to the Pacific League next year joined by fellow Korean squad SLT Seongnam.
THAILAND – Nongshim RedForce and SLT Seongnam have claimed the two coveted Ascension slots for the 2026 VCT Pacific League after an intense week of action at VCT Ascension Pacific in Bangkok.
This marks Nongshim RedForce’s return to the tier-one stage following their successful Ascension run in Jakarta last year, while SLT Seongnam make history by earning their first-ever promotion after a rapid rise through the Challengers Korea circuit.
To recap, Nongshim RedForce and BOOM Esports, last year’s promoted teams, had to battle their way through Ascension once again this year to reclaim their Pacific League spot. Since neither team qualified for Champions, both lost their automatic tier-one placement but maintained enough circuit points to avoid direct relegation to Challengers. They were joined by eight regional representatives from the Challengers ecosystem: four from Southeast Asia, and one each from Korea, Japan, South Asia, and Oceania.
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After a week of group-stage action, SLT Seongnam emerged as the only undefeated team with a perfect 4-0 record, taking down BOOM Esports, Motiv Esports, Team NKT, and E-KING.
Not much was known about SLT before this event, except for Go “C1ndeR” Jae-hyuk, a veteran who previously competed in the Challengers Japan circuit with teams like SCARZ, Good 8 Squad, and REIGNITE, and has been around since the First Strike Korea era. The rest of the roster, however, are relatively new faces who only began making their competitive career last year.
Fast forward to playoffs, SLT didn’t drop a single map against NAOS Esports and BOOM Esports, even showing confidence by standing up and waving at their Indonesian opponents during a timeout, a moment that went viral as they went on to win the series and secure promotion to the Pacific League. SLT’s meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable, and it remains to be seen if they can replicate that same dominance against tier-one competition.
Meanwhile, Nongshim RedForce were competing in Bangkok without Yang “Persia” Zi-on, with Jung “Xross” Hwan stepping in. The absence of their longtime core player seemed to impact their rhythm early on, as they finished the group stage as the third seed behind NAOS Esports and Velocity Gaming. Although all three teams ended with identical 3-1 records, tiebreakers based on head-to-head results placed Nongshim lower in the standings.
That meant Nongshim had to start their playoff run from the lower bracket, a do-or-die situation where a single loss would end their Pacific League hopes. Despite the pressure, the Korean squad held firm, sweeping both Velocity Gaming and Motiv Esports 2-0 before facing BOOM Esports in the decisive match for the final Pacific slot.
The best-of-five series was tightly contested, but Nongshim ultimately prevailed 3-1, reaffirming that they still belong among the Pacific’s elite.
These results mean that the 2026 VCT Pacific League will feature a record five Korean teams competing on home soil in Seoul: DRX, T1, Gen.G, Nongshim RedForce, and SLT Seongnam.
The official VCT Pacific season is set to kick off in January 2026, but before then, fans can look forward to a string of OFF//SEASON events featuring most of the league’s teams. These tournaments will serve as the first glimpse of each team’s new lineup as they prepare for what’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet.
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
