The 2026 VCT season will introduce a direct pathway for tier-two teams to earn a spot at VALORANT Champions Shanghai via the International Leagues.
Riot Games has announced sweeping updates for the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), promising a more open ecosystem, expanded global reach, and new opportunities for Challenger teams to compete on the biggest stage in VALORANT esports.
The international events will span three continents with Masters Santiago marking the first-ever VCT global event in Latin America, Masters London bringing international VALORANT to the UK for the first time, and Champions Shanghai serving as the grand finale where the 2026 world champion will be crowned.
- Kickoff: January
- VALORANT Masters Santiago: mid-February
- Stage 1: mid-March
- Stage 1 Playoffs: late-April
- VALORANT Masters London: June
- Stage 2: July
- Stage 2 Playoffs: mid-August
- VALORANT Champions Shanghai: September
- VALORANT Game Changers Championship: November
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The competitive structure is also evolving, with Kickoff tournaments adopting a brand-new triple elimination format that guarantees more matches. At the same time, the first Masters will grow to feature 12 teams, aligning with the scale of the second Masters each season.
The regular season will shift away from the previous group format, with every team playing an equal number of matches to qualify for playoffs, ensuring a fairer playing field across the board.
Stage 2 Playoffs, which serve as qualifiers for Champions, will become destination events hosted in new cities, while VCT CN will push boundaries with an ambitious five-city tour as its most expansive regional schedule to date. In past years, VCT CN stops included Changsha (2024), Beijing (2025 S1), and Chongqing (2025 S2).
Perhaps the most significant change is the introduction of a “Path to Champions,” giving Challenger teams their first-ever direct route to the world championship post-partnership.
Each International League will be eligible to send four Challenger teams to its Stage 2 Playoffs, where they will compete against partnered organizations for a coveted Champions berth. Riot Games will support these teams with stipends and travel assistance, ensuring they can compete on the international stage. Teams will also accrue points across both stages to reward consistent performance, and those who qualify for Champions will receive additional rewards.
Importantly, Riot emphasized that financial sustainability is central to this expansion. Leo Faria confirmed via Plat Chat that any tier-two team advancing into Stage 2 Playoffs will receive a stipend “substantial enough” to cover the cost of running a Challengers team for an entire season, depending on the region.
In addition, teams become eligible for Stage 2 Playoffs prize pools, and those that make it to Champions will secure a Champions revenue share, which has been valued at half a million dollars in previous seasons and is set to be even larger in 2026.
With this new ecosystem, players now have a clear pipeline from Premier to Champions within a single season: rise through Premier or regional qualifiers to enter Challengers, secure promotion into a Challenger League, win that league to reach Stage 2 Playoffs, and ultimately earn a spot at Champions.
Riot describes these changes as part of a broader vision to make VALORANT esports more open and accessible. “2026 is about opening doors for more players and teams around the world,” said Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports. “With new global events, bigger formats, and a new path for Challengers to reach Champions, we’re building a more open ecosystem that empowers the next generation of VALORANT stars.”
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Cover photo courtesy of VALORANT Champions Tour
