© 2026 Riot Games. All Rights Reserved.
© 2026 Riot Games. All Rights Reserved.
VCT EMEA Kickoff returns January 20
Teams will compete in a new triple elimination bracket
12 Teams will compete to decide our three VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 representatives
Tickets will go on sale Dec. 11 at 18:00 CET on https://emeatickets.valorantesports.com/
It’s not long now until competitive VALORANT is back in our lives, with VCT EMEA 2026 Kickoff returning on January 20 and ending on February 15.
Kickoff will see EMEA’s 12 teams battle it out across four weeks of high-level competition. Fans finally get to see how the new teams measure up to the competition, all in a bid to qualify for the VALORANT Masters Santiago.
Our recently promoted Ascension qualifiers, PCIFIC Esports and ULF Esports, join Gentle Mates that return as partners this year to make up our list of 12 competing teams.
Here’s all you need to know about the first event of the 2026 season.
VCT EMEA Kickoff will feature a triple elimination format. This way, every new squad will have ample opportunity to settle in, and fans will have plenty of exciting and refreshed match-ups to look forward to.
Triple elimination simply means teams have three lives. Lose a third time, and you’re out. Win to stay in the Upper Bracket and keep your place at the top of the food chain. Lose once, and teams will drop down to the Middle Bracket. Lose again, and they’ll be in the Lower Bracket, facing the possibility of elimination in every match from that point forward.
Rather than culminating in one Grand Final, this format will deliver THREE exciting finals. The champions of each bracket (Upper, Middle, and Lower) will all advance to the first international event of the year. You won’t know who secures the qualification spot until each final is complete, with high stakes and everything on the line right to the very end.
Our four representatives from VALORANT Champions Paris 2025 – Fnatic, Team Liquid, GIANTX, and Team Heretics – will all be given a bye into the Round 2 of the Upper Bracket where they await the winners from Round 1.
Every series will be a Best-of-3 until each of the bracket finals, which will all feature Best-of-5 matches. With three Masters Santiago spots on the line, every bracket has something to play for and every series has major repercussions.
There is plenty to look forward to with four weeks of exciting action, including a high-stakes final weekend.
In Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3, VCT EMEA game days will run from Tuesday to Friday with two Best-of-3 series each day. Meanwhile, Week 4 will run from Thursday to Sunday, with a bracket final Best-of-5 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
This is a lot to take in, so let’s walk through the schedule week-by-week to help you prepare for the banger series coming up.
Week 1 - Upper Bracket rounds 1 and 2
Week 1 opens with eight exciting matches: four in Round 1, followed by four in Round 2 featuring our VALORANT Champions representatives and the winners from the opening round. That means Round 1 winners will take to the stage twice in Week 1, giving them an immediate opportunity to build momentum.
Week 2 - Middle Bracket battles & Upper Bracket Semi-finals
All eight teams that lost during Week 1 will drop into the Middle Bracket and initially compete again on Tuesday and Wednesday of Week 2. Thursday will feature the remaining four Upper Bracket teams to decide the Upper Bracket finalists. Friday will return to the Middle Bracket, featuring the winning four teams from earlier in the week.
Week 3 - Lower Bracket survival rounds
Week 3 shifts the spotlight to the Lower Bracket, beginning Tuesday with its first two matches as teams battle to keep their season alive. To give Tuesday’s winners a rest day, Wednesday returns to the Middle Bracket with two matchups. The action picks up again on Thursday and Friday with four additional Lower Bracket clashes – each in a different round – as teams fight their way toward the Lower Finals.
Week 4 - Upper Finals, Middle Finals, Lower Finals
Week 4 will run Thursday to Sunday with 6pm CET starts on Thursday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday game days will start at 2pm CET.
Before we can get into each bracket’s finals, we will first have to settle the remaining rounds of the Middle and Lower Brackets. This is why you’ll see Best-of-3 matches on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, prior to each final.
This schedule means even the losing teams from the Upper Finals and Middle Finals will have a second or even third chance to win a bracket and qualify to Masters Santiago. Alternatively, a team in the Lower Bracket has a chance to go on an insane run and win three series in a row, all within the final week. Lots on the line and high-stakes right until the very end.
For the teams that don’t secure a victory and claim a qualification spot, don’t worry. This isn’t the end of their journey either. They could head to a brand-new EMEA tournament scheduled to take place before Masters Santiago. More details on this coming soon.
Here is the draw for the opening round of the Upper Bracket and the first official VCT EMEA matches of 2026!
Crucial Championship Points will also be up for grabs during Kickoff, with the following distributions available:
Winner = 4 points
2nd place = 3 points
3rd place = 2 points
4th place = 1 point
At the end of the VCT EMEA season, the top two teams with the most Championship points will qualify for VALORANT Champions Shanghai.
We can’t wait to reopen the doors to Riot Games Arena in Berlin and welcome you all back for the first VCT EMEA event of the year. Tickets will be available on Thursdays and Fridays during the first three weeks, and then every day during the fourth week.
Tickets go on sale at https://emeatickets.valorantesports.com/ on December 11 at 6pm CET, with prices between €10-20. So, be ready to secure your place and be there to witness the start of the new season unfold.
We hope you’re as hyped for this new format as us. We can’t wait to be back and see how all the teams perform in a brand new season. See you soon!
