VALORANT Champions Shanghai - Everything You Need to Know
It is finally time for the biggest tournament of the year, and what could also be the biggest event the VCT has hosted so far. Here is everything you need to know before VALORANT Champions Shanghai begins.
CHINA – VALORANT Champions Shanghai will not only close out the 2026 season, but also mark the end of the first VCT partnership era. With the circuit set to change quite a lot from next year onward, Shanghai will be the final tournament under the system that has shaped the VCT over the past four seasons. And there probably is not a better place for it than China.
Just like previous Champions events, 16 teams from around the world will compete from September 24 to October 18 for the biggest title of the season and the chance to become the 2026 VALORANT World Champions.
Each of the four regional leagues will send four teams, with the following representatives, seeds, and group draw:
The groups were drawn in Los Angeles earlier this month, with four teams placed into each group. The format is simple: win two matches and advance to the playoffs, lose two and the run ends in the group stage. Only two teams from each group will make it through, with every group-stage series played as a best-of-three.
Once the field is down to eight teams, the tournament moves into a double-elimination playoff bracket. From there, the remaining teams will battle their way toward the best-of-five Grand Final on Sunday, October 18, where one team will leave Shanghai as the 2026 world champions.
One player will also be named Tournament MVP and receive the MVP bracelet, which has become a tradition at VCT international events for the standout player of the tournament.
Schedule
Champions Shanghai will be played across two venues. The group stage and the first part of the playoffs, from September 24 to October 11, will take place at the Jing’an Sports Center. The venue has already hosted several esports events, including the HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League 2025 and two editions of the Shanghai Esports Masters during the OFF//SEASON.
For the final three days from October 16 to 18, the tournament will move to the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The venue has hosted some of Shanghai’s biggest esports events, including VALORANT Masters Shanghai, Dota 2’s The International 2019 and The Shanghai Major 2016, as well as the quarterfinals and semifinals of the 2025 LoL World Championship. It feels like the right place to end the biggest event of the season.
Group Stage
- Sept. 24, Thursday — Day 1
- Sept. 25, Friday — Day 2
- Sept. 26, Saturday — Day 3
- Sept. 27, Sunday — Day 4
Dark Day
- Sept. 28, Monday — No matches
Group Stage
- Sept. 29, Tuesday — Day 5
- Sept. 30, Wednesday — Day 6
- Oct. 1, Thursday — Day 7
- Oct. 2, Friday — Day 8
- Oct. 3, Saturday — Day 9
- Oct. 4, Sunday — Day 10
Dark Days
- Oct. 5, Monday — No matches
- Oct. 6, Tuesday — No matches
Playoffs
- Oct. 7, Wednesday — Playoffs Day 1
- Oct. 8, Thursday — Playoffs Day 2
- Oct. 9, Friday — Playoffs Day 3
- Oct. 10, Saturday — Playoffs Day 4
- Oct. 11, Sunday — Playoffs Day 5
Dark Days
- Oct. 12, Monday — No matches
- Oct. 13, Tuesday — No matches
- Oct. 14, Wednesday — No matches
- Oct. 15, Thursday — No matches
Finals Weekend
- Oct. 16, Friday — Playoffs Day 6
- Oct. 17, Saturday — Lower Bracket Final
- Oct. 18, Sunday — Grand Final
About the teams
There are 16 teams on the ground for Champions Shanghai, and quite a few of them are worth keeping an eye on for very different reasons.
From the Americas, 100 Thieves are probably the team to watch the closest. They come into Shanghai in the best form out of the region after winning Stage 2 and the 2026 Esports World Cup, especially compared to G2, who have looked less convincing than the team that was so consistent regionally in the past three seasons. There are also already rumors around possible changes after Champions, with valyn and babybay among the names being talked about.
The 2025 world champions NRG could be right there with 100 Thieves in terms of potential, but their ceiling is still difficult to judge, especially when it comes to whether they can defend their title. Then again, almost no one had them winning Paris either.
LOUD, meanwhile, are a much younger team with no international experience in their current starting five. They have shown they can go toe to toe with the best teams in the Americas, but the international stage is a different ball game entirely. Unless they can catch teams off guard with that element of surprise, it is difficult to confidently project them making a deep playoff run.
The biggest absence from the Americas is LEVIATÁN. The VALORANT Masters London champions failed to qualify for Shanghai, becoming the first team in VCT history to win a Masters event and then miss Champions in the same season.
Pacific arguably brings the strongest set of representatives the region could have hoped for.
Global Esports enter with the most momentum after winning Pacific Stage 2, although they remain the least internationally tested of the four. T1 bring the opposite profile, with plenty of experience and pedigree to fall back on if they can rediscover their best form. Paper Rex, meanwhile, will look to make another deep international run after reaching the grand finals of both Masters Santiago and Masters London this year, only to fall short on both occasions.
Then there is Nongshim RedForce. After winning Masters Santiago and dipping in form afterwards, their run back to the Pacific Stage 2 Grand Final showed signs that they are finding their footing again. At their best, they remain one of the scariest teams in the region to play against.
EMEA may be the biggest question mark in terms of what kind of threat its four teams can pose. Karmine Corp headline the region after winning Stage 2, but Shanghai will be the real test of whether that form can carry over to the international stage.
Team Liquid have arguably taken the biggest gamble of any team heading into Champions, promoting academy player GSR into the starting lineup in place of purp0 just weeks before the tournament. With barely any official Tier 1 reps together with this version of the roster, there is still plenty of uncertainty around them. nAts will once again be one of the key players to watch, both for his impact in the server and how vocal he is in the team's comms.
Team Vitality still carry the expectations that come with such a star-studded lineup, and Shanghai gives them another chance to show whether all five pieces can finally come together to do what’s expected of them since day 1.
FUT Esports, meanwhile, will look to bring their distinct Turkish style of VALORANT onto the international stage and prove they can match the tactical depth of the world's best teams. There will also be plenty of attention on s0pp and how he is received by the Chinese crowd following the backlash around him in London.
Lastly, the home crowd will have four Chinese teams to rally behind. EDward Gaming remain the biggest name of the group, now strengthened by the addition of stew. On paper, the move should give EDG greater flexibility in the current meta and more options across different compositions to help the star player in ZmjjKK.
TYLOO enter Shanghai as China's Stage 2 champions, with SiuFatBB making his long-awaited return to the international stage with a new team. His leadership and mentality sit at the center of a roster that already has plenty of firepower and clutch potential around him.
Xi Lai Gaming bring more continuity than most, and the question for them is whether that stability can finally help them break through their previous international ceiling.
JD Gaming, meanwhile, may be one of the tournament's biggest dark horses. The additions of BerLIN and crownfisher have given the team a fresh look and helped spark a remarkable turnaround, and after their surprise run through Stage 2, Shanghai will show just how far that momentum can carry them.
Patch & Map Pool
Champions Shanghai will be played on Patch 13.05, meaning the major 13.06 update arriving just two days before the tournament will not be used. That also means the new Warden rifle will have to wait before making its VCT debut. Patch 13.05 itself does not bring any major agent or weapon balance changes, so teams will be playing on the same meta they prepared with heading into Shanghai.
The map pool will feature Abyss, Ascent, Haven, Lotus, Split, Summit, and Sunset. Abyss is the newest change to the rotation after replacing Breeze in Patch 13.04, while Summit will make its Champions debut after being introduced earlier this season.
Opening Day Ceremony
Champions Shanghai will begin well before the first match, with Riot Games hosting a special Opening Day broadcast across Shanghai on September 24. The broadcast will feature segments from around the city, including Pop Mart, Haidilao, DOE, Artist Alley, the VALORANT Concept PC Bang, and other spots around Shanghai.
TenZ, Sacy, TcK, meL, Loupiote, spicyuuu, and TYLOO's SiuFatBB will also be part of the broadcast. It will begin at 4:00 PM China Standard Time (GMT+8) on September 24
If you’re watching Champions Shanghai Online
Champions Shanghai will be broadcast as usual across the official VALORANT and VCT channels, with both standard and vertical broadcasts available. There will also be hundreds of official co-streamers, both on-site and online, hosting watch parties across different languages and platforms.
The broadcast will usually begin around 30 minutes before the first match with a pre-game desk segment, while matches are scheduled to start at 5:00 PM GMT+8 (China Standard Time) each day.
Viewers can also earn several in-game rewards throughout the tournament by connecting their Riot account. Drops will include titles and sprays, while Twitch viewers can take part in Shotcall predictions for a chance to earn additional rewards such as gun buddies and player cards. Pick’Ems will also return for each stage of the tournament, with more titles and gun buddies available based on your predictions.
Groups Stage Pick’Ems
- Picks open September 10 at 7:00 AM PT on the web and 8:00 AM PT in the VALORANT client
- Picks lock September 24 at approximately 2:10 AM PT, 10 minutes after the first game of Champions Shanghai begins
Playoffs Pick’Ems
- Picks open October 4 once the Draw Show is complete and Playoffs matchups are confirmed
- Picks lock October 7 at approximately 2:10 AM PT, 10 minutes after the first game of Playoffs begins
Pick’Ems Rewards
- Participation: “Calculated” Title
- Top 50%: Stone of Heaven Gun Buddy
- Top 20%: Pick’Ems Master: Stone of Heaven Gun Buddy
- Perfect Picks: “100%” Title
If you’re watching Champions Shanghai in person
If you’re attending Champions Shanghai in person, there should be plenty to look forward to beyond just the matches. VCT CN has built a strong reputation for its production and live event experience, and hosting Champions in its home region should make this one feel especially special.
There will be fan festivals, merchandise, and other VALORANT activities happening around Shanghai throughout the event. Keep an eye on the official VALORANT Esports channels and VALO2ASIA for updates, especially during the playoffs when more activations and on-site coverage are expected.
As of this writing, tickets are close to selling out. Avoid buying from resellers, as tickets are tied to the buyer’s real-name identification and are non-transferable. For ticket details, entry requirements, and venue rules, refer to the official VALORANT Esports and MAISEAT pages before attending.
For anyone traveling from overseas to Shanghai, VALO2ASIA has also put together MAKAN2ASIA, a community guide covering some of the things that can make the trip easier outside the venue. It includes food recommendations, popular areas to visit, essential apps, transport, payments, connectivity, and other useful things to know when visiting Shanghai.
There are also recommendations around Jing’an and other parts of the city, including places connected to Shanghai’s esports scene. With Champions overlapping with some of China’s busiest travel periods, the guide is designed to help anyone attending spend less time figuring things out and more time enjoying the event and the city.
Press Conference
VALO2ASIA will also stream post-match press conferences live on YouTube, usually around 5–10 minutes after each series ends. Full VODs will be uploaded afterward for anyone who misses the live broadcast.
Follow VALO2ASIA throughout Champions Shanghai for match highlights, player and coach reactions, press conference coverage, interviews, and everything happening on the ground across the event.
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to like and follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.