VCT Pacific Stage 2: Everything You Need to Know

by Juandi June 23, 2026

The final stage of the VCT Pacific season will introduce Play-Ins, Challengers teams, and a Busan roadshow as teams fight for Champions qualification.

SOUTH KOREA – Riot Games has officially announced the full details for VCT Pacific Stage 2, the final phase of the VCT Pacific season before VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai, China.

Set to run from July 16 to September 6, Stage 2 will determine the final Pacific representatives heading to Champions. With only a few spots left on the line, teams will have one last opportunity to either qualify directly through their Stage 2 placement or secure their position through Championship Points accumulated throughout the season.

Stage 2 will begin with the Group Stage, where the 12 VCT Pacific teams have been split into two groups of six. The draw was conducted in person at the end of Stage 1, setting up the following groups:

Group Alpha:

  • FULL SENSE
  • Global Esports
  • RRQ
  • Nongshim RedForce
  • ZETA DIVISION
  • Gen.G

Group Omega:

  • Paper Rex
  • T1
  • KIWOOM DRX
  • DetonatioN FocusMe
  • Team Secret
  • VARREL
Also read: VCT 2027 qualification structure revealed

The Group Stage will run for four weeks, with matches taking place from Thursday to Sunday each week, except for the final week, which will begin on Friday. Match start times will remain unchanged, with all series scheduled to begin at 4 PM GMT+8.

Teams will compete in a best-of-three round-robin format, facing the other teams in their respective groups. At the end of the Group Stage, the top two teams from each group will advance directly to the Stage 2 Playoffs.

This is a huge change from previous stages, where the top four teams from each group moved straight into the playoffs. For Stage 2, only the top two teams in each group will receive direct playoff qualification.

However, the rest of the field will not be eliminated immediately. Instead, the remaining eight VCT Pacific teams will move into the Stage 2 Play-Ins, where they will be joined by four teams from the Challengers ecosystem.

The four Challengers representatives will come from:

  • Challengers SEA Split 2 champion
  • Challengers Japan Season Finals champion
  • Challengers Korea Split 2 champion
  • Pacific Last Chance Qualifier champion, featuring SEA #2, SEA Circuit Points #1, South Asia #1, and Oceania #1

This makes Stage 2 the first major point of the season where Challengers teams will be integrated directly into the VCT Pacific qualification path. For non-partner and regional teams, the Play-Ins offer a major opportunity to challenge VCT Pacific teams and reach the main playoff stage and potentially Champions.

The Stage 2 Play-Ins will feature 12 teams in total: eight teams from the VCT Pacific Group Stage and four Challengers representatives. They will compete in a double-elimination bracket, with the third and fourth-place teams from each Stage 2 group receiving a first-round bye in the Upper Bracket.

From there, the top four teams from the Play-Ins will advance to the Stage 2 Playoffs, joining the four teams that qualified directly from the Group Stage.

The final stage of the event will be the Stage 2 Playoffs, where eight teams will battle through another double-elimination bracket. The first-place teams from each Stage 2 group will receive first-round byes in the Upper Bracket, while the third and fourth-place teams from the Play-Ins will begin their playoff run in the Lower Bracket.

As usual, the Lower Final and Grand Final will be played as best-of-five series.

The Stage 2 Playoffs will take place in Busan, South Korea, as VCT Pacific returns to the roadshow format to close out the season. The event will mark the final stop of the VCT Pacific calendar before the region sends its representatives to VALORANT Champions Shanghai.

At the end of Stage 2, the top two teams will qualify directly for VALORANT Champions 2026. They will be joined by two additional VCT Pacific teams that qualify through Championship Points earned across the season.

As of writing, Paper Rex have already mathematically secured qualification for VALORANT Champions Shanghai through Championship Points. However, they still have the opportunity to qualify through a top-two finish in Stage 2.

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