As we prepare for a new era of the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2027, we're excited to introduce the 32 organizations joining us as partners across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. With eight partner teams in each territory, these organizations will play an important role in shaping the next chapter of VALORANT Esports.

To select our partners, we operated a comprehensive selection process that saw more than 100 teams from around the world submit their interest. This effort began earlier this year, with teams sharing proposals of what they could bring to the VCT and the wider VALORANT community. A smaller group of finalists were interviewed by global and regional esports leads to better understand what they aspired to bring to the VCT. At a high level the selection criteria focused on five key criteria:

• Commitment to Grow the VALORANT Community
• Community Resonance across Fandom and Content
• Business Sustainability and Responsible Operations
• Operational Excellence and Established Infrastructure
• Competitive Success and Performance Development

Our goal was to identify organizations that bring something unique to the VCT, whether that's a passionate local fanbase, a distinct identity, a history of competitive excellence, or a demonstrated ability to build resonant experiences for the VALORANT community. While competitive results were an important part of our evaluation, we placed particular emphasis on organizations that could help us build fandom and community resonance for years to come. You can read more about the process in our earlier post from April.

Our partnership program is designed to reward organizations for their contributions both on and off the server. Partnership will operate on two-year renewable cycles with teams receiving annual financial support, opportunities to earn additional revenue through in-game digital goods like Team & Season Capsules, the Championship bundle, and incentives tied to their contributions to growing VALORANT Esports.

For the start of the 2027 season, partner teams will also receive direct qualification to VCT Kickoff, providing a starting point for each competitive season. After Kickoff partners will have to compete alongside and against teams emerging from Open Qualifiers, with competitive performance as the only way to earn a place at Cups, Masters, and Champions. With more opportunities for aspiring teams to qualify directly into the VCT, our partners will for the first time face an onslaught of new challengers throughout the season.

We believe this balance of long-term stability and open competition will create a healthier ecosystem, giving established organizations the confidence to invest in their future while ensuring that competitive success is always earned on the server.

The 32 organizations joining us for 2027 represent a wide range of communities, competitive histories, and identities from around the world. Together, they'll help us bring the VCT to more cities, create more opportunities for players, and build incredible experiences for fans across the world.