Look Sports Media – Riot Games has officially unveiled the complete schedule for the highly anticipated Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2026, spanning from the Kickoff tournament in January to the Championship showdown in Shanghai during September and October. Alongside the schedule announcement, all participating teams across the Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific regions have been confirmed, setting the stage for another year of intense Valorant competition.
The VCT 2026 season promises a revamped competitive landscape, with Tier 2 teams gaining increased opportunities through the VCT Path to Champions. Updated stipends, regional slot allocations, and eligibility criteria for Challenger teams have already been released, aiming to foster a more robust and inclusive ecosystem. The Path to Champions will allow Challenger teams to battle their way into the Stage 2 Playoffs and ultimately, the Championship.
The Tier 1 VCT circuit will continue to award points based on match and event performance, contributing to the qualification process for the VCT 2026 Championship in Shanghai.
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A significant change for VCT 2026 is the introduction of a new Triple Elimination Bracket format for the Kickoff tournament. All twelve teams will start in the upper bracket, with teams that competed in the VCT Paris 2025 Championship receiving preferential seeding into the upper bracket round two. Teams must now lose three matches before being eliminated, navigating through upper, middle, and lower brackets. The Kickoff tournament will culminate with three teams from each region qualifying for Valorant Masters Santiago.
Unlike previous Masters events, Valorant Masters Santiago will feature a 12-team lineup, with the top three teams from each region securing a spot. Stage 1 will run from March 31st to May 10th, with the Stage 1 Playoffs determining qualification for Valorant Masters London.
The confirmed teams for each VCT 2026 region are:
- Americas: (List of teams)
- EMEA: (List of teams)
- China: (List of teams)
- Pacific: (List of teams)
The final Pacific team remains unconfirmed following Riot’s removal of PSG Talon from the LCP and VCT due to payment delays. All other regions have finalized their team rosters, including ascension-qualified teams and partnered team changes.
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