Nongshim RedForce may have just taken down Team Vitality at the VALORANT Esports World Cup 2026, but Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu says the victory is only part of a much bigger plan.
The star entry from VCT Pacific made it clear the team’s eyes are on an even bigger prize–becoming the first roster to win both VCT Masters and Champions in the same year, as Dot Esports spoke with Dambi just after the quarterfinal.
A win built on reading Team Vitality
In an exclusive interview with Dot Esports, Dambi said Nongshim RedForce did not go into the series with a specific anti-Vitality strategy. Instead, the team focused on studying Vitality’s playstyle and adapting on the fly once the match began.
“We didn’t really prepare specifically for Vitality,” Dambi said. “But we analyzed really well on Vitality’s gameplay style, so I think we were able to read and counter those plays.”
That preparation showed in the way Nongshim handled the series. The opening map on Ascent (13-10 in Vitality’s favor) was close, but the next two were much more one-sided as RedForce found their rhythm and started matching Vitality’s pace round by round. They won 13-7 on Split, followed by a dominating 13-2 on Breeze.
For Dambi, beating a big-name opponent like Vitality was less about fear and more about mindset. He said the team went into the lobby believing they were the better side, and that confidence helped them play aggressively from start to finish.
“When we played, we had to have the mindset that we were better,”
Nongshim RedForce’s Dambi said about in-game mentality.
“In the game, we didn’t think they were a good team, so I think our results were better,” he added.
That approach has become part of Nongshim RedForce’s identity during this run. Dambi said the squad carries the same mentality whether they’re facing G2, Vitality, or any other high-level opponent, and that belief has helped them stay composed in pressure moments.
Chasing a first in VCT
The biggest quote from Dambi came when he was asked what Nongshim RedForce wants to prove going forward. “No team in the world actually have won Masters and Champions in the same year. So we’ll try to be the team that does that. We’ll try to be the first team that does that,” he stressed.
Dambi also touched on how Nongshim RedForce has kept their form intact through a packed schedule. With Masters already behind them, the Esports World Cup still ongoing, and VCT Pacific Stage 2 on the horizon, the grind has been relentless. But he said constant competition is exactly what keeps him motivated.
“I think constant competition itself is actually what drives me to motivate,” he said. “Even if we lose, we try to do better.”
Dambi talks about Neon changes and VCT landscape
He also pointed to Neon, a hero that was nerfed recently, and said he feels he has adapted well to the changes. That matters for Nongshim because Dambi’s entry timing and pace continue to be a major part of the team’s success.
Dambi closed with a broader view of the shifting VCT landscape. While he acknowledged that teams like Vitality and G2 are still strong, he believes the scene is changing and that newer teams are ready to rise.
“There are newcomers like BBL or LEVIATÁN, there are a lot of great teams that are upcoming here, and I think the new strong teams are coming to replace them,” Dambi said. “I think this is the time that the meta shifts.”
At the end of the match, Dambi had a 1.14 Rating with a 249 Average Combat score from 49 kills and 37 deaths across all three maps. Nongshim RedForce go up against 100 Thieves at the Esports World Cup 2026 VALORANT semifinals on July 11.
