The 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour is almost here, and Riot Games is kicking off the new competitive year with a bigger calendar, fresh league formats, returning hopefuls, and the most open path to Champions we have seen yet. With more live events, more teams on stage, and more international play, this season is shaping up to be the busiest in VCT history.
An action packed year.
Check out the 2026 #VCT Schedule! pic.twitter.com/MoYqnfC4fD
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) December 2, 2025
Here is your full guide to the VCT 2026 season, covering the schedule, new teams, format changes, and how the revamped Path to Champions works.
A Fresh Look at the 2026 Season
Riot has confirmed that the season will begin in January and conclude in October with VALORANT Champions Shanghai. Fans can also expect double the number of series compared to 2025, along with an expanded international presence throughout the year.
Image Credit: Riot Games
The 2026 competitive circuit includes:
- VCT Kickoff: Jan 15 to Feb 15
- Masters Santiago: Feb 28 to Mar 15
- Stage 1: Mar 31 to May 24
- Stage 1 Playoffs: May 6 to 24
- Masters London: Jun 6 to 21
- Stage 2: Jun 30 to Aug 16
- Season Finals: Aug 5 to Sep 6
- VALORANT Champions Shanghai: Sep 24 to Oct 18
- Game Changers Championship: October and November
This year will also bring more changes to the Championship Points system, which determines which organisations qualify for the final showdown in Shanghai.
New Teams Entering the Race
Image Credit: Riot Games
A new season brings new contenders. Four fresh squads have officially joined the International Leagues after ascending from their regional Challenger systems:
- ENVY
- PCIFIC
- ULF
- SLT Seongnam
They join Nongshim Redforce and Dragon Ranger Gaming, two teams that successfully qualified again for 2026. All of them will compete for a place at Champions Shanghai, adding more depth to each region’s talent pool.
Kickoff 2026: Triple Elimination Begins
The season starts with a major revamp to Kickoff. For the first time, VCT will use a triple elimination bracket, giving teams more chances to recover from early losses.
Image Credit: Riot Games
Key Kickoff details include:
- 12 teams per league
- Top four teams from Champions 2025 get a first-round bye
- Top three teams per league qualify for Masters Santiago
- Kickoff start dates:
- Americas: Jan 15
- EMEA: Jan 20
- Pacific: Jan 22
- China: Jan 22
With the expanded Masters Santiago featuring 12 teams, the early stakes are higher than ever.
Masters Santiago: The First Global Test
Running from February 28 to March 15, Masters Santiago will be the first international LAN of the year. Twelve teams, three from each major league, will battle for the first major title of 2026.
Championship Points for Masters Santiago:
- Winner: 6
- Runner-up: 4
- Third place: 3
- Fourth place: 2
- Fifth and sixth: 1
These points will matter, particularly for teams eyeing an early cushion on their road to Shanghai.
Stage 1: Two Groups. One Round Robin. High Stakes.
Stage 1 begins on March 31 and follows a straightforward format:
- 12 teams split into two groups of six
- Single round robin
- Best-of-three matches
- Five weeks of competition
Only the top four teams from each group will advance to the Stage 1 Playoffs. Teams finishing in the bottom two are eliminated with no chance at Masters London, raising the pressure early in the year.
The top three teams from the Stage 1 Playoffs will qualify for Masters London, taking place from June 6 to June 21.
Masters London: The Final Masters of the Year
Masters London follows the same structure as Santiago, again featuring 12 teams. With eight Championship Points awarded to the winner, this event could break the standings wide open heading into the final push for Champions.
Stage 2: New Locations, Live Crowds, and Higher Stakes
Stage 2 will run from June 30 to August 16, and this time every International League will host its playoffs as a live event in a brand new city. Riot will confirm the host cities in early 2026.
Stage 2 will act as the final stop before Season Finals and Champions qualification, making it a critical leg of the season for nearly every team.
Season Finals: One Step From Shanghai
Running from August 5 to September 6, the Season Finals will award up to eight Championship Points to the winners. These points often decide the final qualification slots for Champions.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026
The biggest event of the year takes place from September 24 to October 18, featuring 16 teams battling for the most prestigious title in competitive VALORANT.
Shanghai will also have stricter roster rules due to local regulations, most notably a minimum age requirement of 18 for all players.
A New Route for Challenger Teams
The biggest structural change in 2026 is the transformation of the Challenger ecosystem.
This year:
- Ascension is gone
- Challenger teams can qualify directly to Stage 2 Playoffs
- They can earn a spot at Champions Shanghai by defeating partnered teams
- Each qualified team receives a USD 75,000 stipend to support travel and logistics
- Challenger teams may field players aged 16 and above at IL Playoffs (except VCT China)
Across every territory, four Challenger teams will qualify for Stage 2 Playoffs.
Regional Slot Allocation
VCT Americas
Direct slots go to:
- Top team from North America Challengers
- Top team from Brazil Challengers
- One slot for LATAM, determined through a LATAM North vs LATAM South final
- Final slot via a Last Chance Qualifier between:
- NA second seed
- Brazil second seed
- LATAM finals loser
VCT EMEA
- Top four Challengers teams will be seeded using points and placements
VCT Pacific
Direct slots go to:
- Top team from Southeast Asia
- Top team from Japan
- Top team from Korea
The last slot will be decided through a Last Chance Qualifier featuring:
- South Asia
- Oceania
- Southeast Asia second and third seeds
VCT China
- Full qualification details will be revealed soon
Roster Construction and Eligibility
Key rules for 2026 include:
- Academy teams can compete in Challengers but cannot enter the Path to Champions
- Academy relegation protection is removed
- Affiliate teams can qualify without severing affiliations
- No roster transfers during Stage 2 Playoffs and Champions lock periods
- Challenger teams may compete with up to two global imports
- China maintains an 18+ age requirement across all tiers
Riot has also confirmed it is working toward a unified global ruleset in 2027.
Premier Qualification to Challengers
Players grinding Premier can still reach the Challenger Leagues, but they must follow regional residency rules. Teams should check their gamepod mappings and eligibility before aiming to rise into the tier above.
Game Changers Championship Returns
The VALORANT Game Changers Championship will once again crown a world champion in October and November 2026. Riot will announce the host city at a later date.