Nongshim RedForce

Origins and League of Legends Entry

The organization's roots trace back to a League of Legends team that competed for years in South Korea's second division, Challengers Korea. Under the name Team Dynamics, the squad achieved a major breakthrough by winning the 2020 LCK Summer promotion tournament, earning a spot in the country's premier league, the LCK.

In June 2020, Nongshim became the team's main sponsor, with plans to fully acquire it after the season. This transition was formalized in December 2020 when Team Dynamics was rebranded as Nongshim RedForce, named after the company's popular Shin Ramyun instant noodle brand. The organization was also announced as one of the ten permanent franchise partners in the LCK, securing its long-term place in the league.

The team's history before becoming Team Dynamics includes periods as ES Sharks from January 2018 to May 2019, and as I Gaming Star from May 2016 to January 2018. This lineage shows a long-standing presence in the Korean competitive scene prior to its corporate acquisition and rebranding.

Expansion into Valorant and Acquisition

Nongshim RedForce expanded its competitive footprint by entering Valorant. On 25 November 2024, the organization acquired Sin Prisa Gaming, a team that had just earned promotion to the top-tier Valorant Champions Tour Pacific League by winning the Ascension Pacific tournament. This acquisition gave Nongshim RedForce a direct spot in the VCT Pacific League.

As part of this move, the organization's existing Valorant team in Challengers Korea was transferred to another team named FearX. This allowed the organization to focus its competitive efforts on the newly acquired top-tier roster. The acquisition of Sin Prisa Gaming was a strategic move to instantly place Nongshim RedForce at the highest level of Valorant competition in the Pacific region.

Turbulent Start and Relegation Battle

The team's journey in the VCT was turbulent at first. They failed to meet the league requirements to keep their spot in the VCT Pacific League and were relegated once again to the Ascension tournament. This setback meant they had to fight to re-enter the top league.

In the Ascension tournament, they faced Boom Esports and defeated them, thereby retaining their spot in the league. This victory was crucial, as it prevented the organization from falling out of the top competitive circuit and set the stage for their subsequent unexpected success.

The Cinderella Run to a Historic Championship

What followed their relegation battle was described as a Cinderella run during the 2025 Kickoff event. Nongshim RedForce dominated the upper bracket of the tournament. They qualified for their first international tournament by beating RRQ in the Upper Bracket Finals. This victory earned them the first seed from their region and a valuable bye into the playoffs of the international event.

At the Masters Santiago tournament, they went on an undefeated run through the entire competition. They dropped only a single map across all their matches on their path to the grand finals. In the championship match, they won convincingly with a 3-0 score against Paper Rex to claim the organization's first major tournament trophy.

This victory was historic on multiple fronts. Nongshim RedForce became the first team to win an international Valorant tournament after starting from the game's Premier tournament mode, a path they began as Sin Prisa Gaming. They were also the first team promoted through the Ascension system to win such a title, proving that teams from the secondary path could compete with and defeat established franchise organizations.

Organization Structure and Multi-Game Presence

Beyond its flagship League of Legends and Valorant divisions, Nongshim RedForce also fields a team in Honor of Kings, demonstrating a committed multi-game approach to esports. The organization maintains a strong social media presence and engages with a dedicated fanbase, often referred to by the abbreviation NS or NS RedForce.

The team's identity is closely tied to its corporate owner, with branding that directly references Nongshim's most famous product, Shin Ramyun. This corporate backing has provided financial stability, allowing the organization to operate as a permanent partner in the LCK and invest in competitive rosters across multiple games. The organization also fields an LCK Challengers League team for developing talent in League of Legends.

Their current Valorant roster, as of recent information, includes players Rb (Goo Sang-min), WoohyuN (Moon Woo-hyun), Xross (Jeonghwan), Francis (Kim Mu-bin), and Dambi (Lee Hyuk-kyu). This roster was instrumental in achieving the historic Masters Santiago victory.