Nongshim RedForce qualified for the Champions Shanghai playoffs by reversing Karmine Corp 2-1 in the Group D decider. KC won Sunset 13-9, but Nongshim answered with a 13-5 victory on Summit and a 13-6 finish on Haven. The Pacific roster transformed two close attacking halves into one-sided defensive closes, while Dambi produced his strongest map in the decider.
Karmine Corp began on its own Sunset pick and used a slower Viper-Chamber approach to create a 7-5 attacking half. SUYGETSU protected two important rounds with clutches, including a one-versus-three in an anti-eco situation. Those recoveries stopped Nongshim from turning successful site pressure into a level score before the side change.
KC won the second pistol and extended the advantage to 9-5. Nongshim then attacked A repeatedly and reduced the gap to a single round, but the comeback did not fully develop. KC stabilized the map and closed 13-9, supported by 21 kills from SUYGETSU and 22 from N4RRATE.
The opening result placed Nongshim one map from elimination, yet it also showed a route into the series. Its faster Waylay-Yoru movements had reached useful positions when the execution remained connected. The challenge was to turn those entries into complete rounds and prevent KC’s late-round specialists from recovering situations that should have favored the attack.
Mid control changed the series on Summit
KC opened Summit with a 4-1 defensive lead, apparently carrying its control from the first map. Nongshim responded by increasing pressure through Mid rather than repeatedly challenging the same prepared holds. The adjustment produced a 7-5 attacking half and gave the Pacific side enough economy to begin its defense without chasing the score.
After the switch, Nongshim did not concede another round. Its Sage-Chamber structure slowed the routes KC wanted to use, while the defenders remained proactive enough to deny a comfortable late-round setup. The perfect defensive half converted a two-round margin into a 13-5 map win and reset the series.
Dambi led Summit with 17 kills on Neon. His value came from more than the final total: the entry threat forced KC to account for rapid space while Nongshim’s other pieces controlled the punish. By the time the decider reached Haven, KC had to prepare for both the initial movement and the defensive aggression that followed it.
Haven repeated the halftime score from Summit. Nongshim built another 7-5 attacking lead with its familiar Neon-Yoru frontline, while KC found enough late-round success to keep the map close. The second half separated the teams far more clearly than the first.
Nongshim’s defenders contested space before KC could settle into its preferred slow attacks. The approach limited the number of complete executions and forced the European roster to spend resources simply securing neutral areas. KC managed only one defensive-side round before Nongshim completed the map 13-6.
Dambi finished Haven with 26 kills, 13 deaths and nine assists for a 1.88 rating. That performance was the sharpest individual line in the decisive map, but it worked because Nongshim repeatedly gave the duelist a supported first contact rather than asking for isolated heroics.
Nongshim completes the lower route
Nongshim’s group stage began with a 0-2 loss to NRG. The team then swept Xi Lai Gaming and recovered from a map deficit against Karmine Corp. Qualifying through that route required improvements between series and within the final series itself.
Karmine Corp exits after beating XLG and losing close three-map matches to both NRG and Nongshim. The team was competitive enough to win the first map of each defeat, but it could not sustain the same control through the later maps. Against Nongshim, the decisive problem was the contrast between close first halves and defensive halves that quickly escaped.
The playoff draw will determine Nongshim’s next opponent. Whatever the matchup, the team now carries a clear tactical strength from the decider: it can turn modest attacking leads into severe defensive pressure. It also has evidence that a lost opening map does not require abandoning its preferred identity.
Nongshim RedForce reached the playoffs by solving the series after a 13-9 loss on Sunset. Mid pressure unlocked Summit, and proactive defense controlled both remaining maps. Dambi’s 26-kill Haven completed a 2-1 recovery that sends Karmine Corp home and adds another Pacific team to the Shanghai bracket.
