© 2026 Riot Games. All Rights Reserved.
© 2026 Riot Games. All Rights Reserved.
A First Look at the 2026 VALORANT Season
The 2026 VCT season is almost here, and this year comes with new changes: more live events, new teams joining the leagues, and a more open Path to Champions! We’ll also see fresh talent trying to build their story in the scene. Here is a walkthrough of what is changing.
New Teams Entering the Race
Below you will find all the teams that will be competing for a chance to qualify to Champions Shanghai. A huge welcome to our newly ascended teams: ENVY, PCIFIC, ULF, and SLT Seongnam - and the return of Nongshim Redforce and Dragon Ranger Gaming who qualified once again.
VCT 2026 Schedule
This season will feature a refresh of the Championship Points system and continue to qualify 2 teams via Stage 2 Playoffs and 2 teams via points. With new teams and a more open path to Champions, we’re more likely than ever to see more new faces than ever as the season reaches its climax at Champions Shanghai! Read more below to find out what to expect from the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour.
Kickoff Format Refresh
This year, the start of the season will look different with the introduction of triple-elimination at Kickoff. Twelve teams will battle it out, with the top four teams from Champions 2025 in each league earning a first-round bye. The top three teams from each league earn a place at the newly expanded Masters Santiago which will feature 12 teams.
Kickoff Start Dates:
Jan 15 – Americas
Jan 20 – EMEA
Jan 22 – Pacific
Jan 22 – CN
Tickets for Masters Santiago are already on sale, find out more information here.
Post Masters Santiago: Stage 1
After the first Masters, Stage 1 will split 12 teams into two groups of six. Teams will compete in a single round robin within their group, with each match played as a best-of-three. The stage will run for five weeks, and each team will play five matches. Teams that finish in the bottom two of their groups will see their run end there with no playoffs and no shot at Masters London. The top four teams in each group will advance to the Stage 1 Playoffs, and the top three teams from Stage 1 will qualify for Masters London, which will feature the same format as Santiago.
Stage 2: More Live Events
Stage 2 will be the last chance for teams to lock in their qualification for Champions Shanghai and each league will host their Stage 2 Playoffs as a live event in brand new locations. Look for the reveal of those cities early in 2026!
A New Route for Challenger Teams
For the first time, Challenger teams can reach Champions directly by qualifying to Stage 2 Playoffs. Riot will help with financial support to attend the event. Ascension is no longer part of the system; instead, Challenger teams will play for Stage 2 spots and face partnered teams to try to secure their place at Champions.
Challengers Path to Champions
Challenger teams that qualify for Stage 2 Playoffs will be granted a $75k cash stipend to assist with travel, visas, and attendance in order to participate in the playoffs. Our goal is to make it easier for top Challenger teams to attend by providing support for every qualified team. All Challenger teams that qualify for the “Path to Champions” should be prepared to travel and play matches at the IL hub locations in 2026 and the Stage 2 Playoff roadshows. While Riot will provide financial support, teams will be responsible for securing documentation and accommodations to participate.
Each territory will see four Challenger teams qualify for Stage 2 Playoffs, where they will compete against International League teams for spots at Champions!
Regional Slot Allocation
VCT Americas:
In the Americas, the top team from North America and Brazil Challengers will each be given a direct slot into the “Path to Champions.” For LATAM, we will bring together the top teams from LATAM North and LATAM South to compete for the LATAM slot. The final and last slot will be determined by a Last Chance Qualifier featuring the NA 2nd seed, the Brazil 2nd seed, and the loser of the LATAM finals.
VCT EMEA:
In EMEA, we will be running Challengers EMEA again and will use points and placement from those tournaments as a way to qualify the top four seeds.
VCT Pacific:
For Pacific, the top team from Challengers Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea will each be given a direct slot into the “Path to Champions.” The last slot will be determined by a Last Chance Qualifier between the top team from South Asia, the top team from Oceania, and the 2nd and 3rd seeds from Southeast Asia.
VCT CN:
Additional details on the VCT CN qualification path will be shared in the coming weeks.
Eligibility for the Path to Champions
Consistent with the current rules today, Academy teams will not be eligible to participate in the “Path to Champions,” but may still compete in regional Challenger competitions. We are also removing the relegation protection for Academy teams in 2026. If an Academy team finishes in the bottom of their regional Challengers, they will need to fight to protect their spot. This approach will increase competitive meritocracy and create a more equitable competition within the Challengers ecosystem.
Affiliate teams will still be allowed to compete in the “Path to Champions,” and affiliate relationships do not need to be terminated should the affiliate team qualify to the “Path to Champions.” Player movement restrictions will apply, with no transfers allowed between main roster and affiliate roster during both Stage 2 Playoffs and Champions roster lock periods.
Additionally, we want to address several details regarding roster construction rules for the “Path to Champions.” With any global competition, we need to comply with local regulations of where the event is held. In China, local laws and regulations mandate a minimum age of 18 for all players across every tier of competition. As a result, teams who qualify with players under the age of 18 may need to adjust their rosters for Champions.
Leading up to Champions, standard Challenger roster construction rules will apply. In Challengers, teams are required to form a roster with 3 players from their region and 2 players globally. In 2026, for the “Path to Champions” we will grant exemptions to Challengers teams through IL playoffs, meaning Challenger teams will be able to compete at IL Playoffs with 16 year old and above players, and up to two imports from outside of their region. This will apply to VCT EMEA, Americas, and PACIFIC. In VCT CN, the minimum age will remain 18 for all players, IL and CL.
We always strive to do our best to support teams and players, but want to provide transparency so that teams can plan accordingly both for their qualification runs in Challengers and the requirements for participating at Champions. We’re actively working on a broader policy review, aiming to have unified rules for the partner and open ecosystem at the start of the 2027 season.
Premier Qualification to Challengers
For players who want to make a run to qualify for Champions through online competition, check your Premier gamepod and mapping to Challenger Leagues. You will need to check your regional Challenger Leagues residency requirements to ensure that you and your team are eligible to ascend to that Challenger League.
WHERE TO FOLLOW THE VCT
Make sure to follow the official VALORANT Esports social channels for additional information about 2026 VCT Season:
Twitter/X: @valorantesports
Facebook: /valorantesports
Instagram: @valorantesports
TikTok: @valorantesports
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/valorant
Photos from the Event: https://www.flickr.com/photos/valorantesports/
Official VALORANT Esports News: valorantesports.com/news
