VALORANT

At the heart of the VALORANT esports ecosystem lies a commitment to fostering top-tier competition and celebrating the diversity of talent worldwide. Our roster of recognized partner teams in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) spans continents, bringing together the best teams from across the globe to compete on both regional and global stages. 

VALORANT Esports utilizes a vertically integrated structure, which creates opportunities for the best players to qualify for the biggest events directly from the game. Here’s the path to go from ranked to Champions:

• Any team can begin their journey in organized competitions within VALORANT’s Premier Mode.

• Teams who win their Premier Mode competitions can promote into their regional Challenger Leagues.

• Top Challengers Teams will have the opportunity to compete in their respective International League Stage 2 Playoffs via the new “Path to Champions”.

• The best teams from the four International Leagues can qualify for Global Tournaments like Masters and Champions.

Four global events occur yearly: Masters (x2), Champions, and Game Changers Championship. 

Champions 

Champions represents the pinnacle of the annual VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), concluding the season with the most elite competition. With substantial prize pools and the world’s best VALORANT teams, Champions is one of the most anticipated events each year, uniting the global community to witness the season’s ultimate showdown.

Throughout the year, top teams worldwide compete in their International Leagues, aiming to secure one of 16 coveted spots at Champions by finishing at the top of their league or by accumulating the highest Championship Points.

In 2026, VALORANT Champions will be hosted in  Shanghai, China, bringing the culmination of the VCT season to one of the world’s most dynamic esports capitals. 

Masters

Masters tournaments are global events within the VCT ecosystem and a crucial milestone on the road to Champions, awarding Championship Points to help teams secure their place at the season’s ultimate event.

Each season includes two Masters tournaments hosted in different cities worldwide, with teams from the four International Leagues — VCT Americas, VCT CN, VCT EMEA, and VCT Pacific—qualifying an equal number of teams to compete.

The first Masters of 2026 kicks off in February with Masters Santiago, marking the debut of the first-ever VCT global event in LATAM,  and  Riot’s first return to South America since LOCK//IN. From there, the VCT heads to the UK for Masters London in June. This will be London's first time hosting a VALORANT event, drawing top international teams and fans to one of EMEA’s premier esports hubs.

Game Changers Championship

The VALORANT Game Changers Championship is the culmination of the Game Changers Series. The tournament features the ten best teams in the world, representing their respective regions. These teams have earned their spots by winning major events and collecting the highest circuit points in their regions. The tournament is the ultimate showcase of the most talented women in VALORANT.

The International Leagues (ILs) are the highest regional tier within the VALORANT esports ecosystem. Four leagues compete on LAN and in front of live audiences, with the weekly matches leading to opportunities to qualify for global events. 

Each league comprises ten teams incorporated through long-term partnerships, joined by two teams that ascend through the Challenger Leagues. This structure fosters long-term planning and deep investment within the ecosystem, creating a stable foundation for the growth of VALORANT esports.

Here’s a closer look at each International League: 

• VCT Americas: Based in Los Angeles, this league spans North America, Brazil, and Latin America. Teams compete over ten weeks of regular-season play, followed by playoffs, with one team ultimately crowned Americas Champion.
  

• VCT CN: Operating from Shanghai, VCT China represents the latest addition to the ecosystem, with Chinese teams quickly establishing a strong global presence since VALORANT’s official release in China in 2023.
  

• VCT EMEA: Featuring teams from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, VCT EMEA is headquartered in Berlin. Teams vie for the title of EMEA Champion, representing over a dozen countries.
  

• VCT Pacific: A regional league uniting teams from Korea, Japan, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. The Pacific teams battle it out over two months in Seoul, South Korea, competing for the Pacific Title.

Each league champion earns not only regional glory but also a place on the global stage.

The Challenger Leagues (CLs) represent the tier directly below the ILs, comprising 14 leagues worldwide organized into three main territories. This competitive level provides a unique experience for players and fans, serving as a key developmental pathway for teams aspiring to compete at the highest levels of VALORANT esports.

Operating year-round, CLs work closely with International Leagues to cultivate emerging talent, offering players a structured and accessible environment and providing fans with localized competitions. Through the Path to Champions, CLs connect directly to the International Leagues, forming a key part of the VALORANT Path to Pro. Together with Premier, CLs help build one of the most robust amateur ecosystems in esports.

Our current Challenger Leagues include:

• Americas: Brazil, LATAM North, LATAM South, and North America

• EMEA: North East, France, Spain, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Türkiye, and MENA (Middle East and North Africa).

• Pacific: Japan, Korea, South Asia (including India), and Southeast Asia.

As VALORANT Esports continues to evolve, we remain dedicated to building an aspirational, accessible, and sustainable Path to Pro.

In 2026, the VCT introduces a new qualification model for Challenger teams called the Path to Champions, replacing the previous Ascension system and creating a more open route to the global stage. 

For the first time, each International League will advance four Challenger teams to its Stage 2 Playoffs, dramatically expanding access and giving more teams than ever a legitimate path to Champions. Teams will accrue points across the season’s stages, rewarding consistent, long-term performance as they work toward qualification for Stage 2 Playoffs.

All qualifying Challenger teams receive a cash stipend to support travel and participation in the playoffs, ensuring competitive opportunity regardless of financial resources.

The Path to Champions model reflects our commitment to keeping the VCT open, aspirational, and opportunity-driven, reigniting the dream for rising teams and players across every region. Challenger teams that reach Champions also earn significant rewards, including meaningful compensation from digital goods tied to the event.

VCT Game Changers is our commitment to building a more inclusive VALORANT Champions Tour, providing new opportunities and visibility for women in VALORANT esports. Designed to showcase the talent of women players, Game Changers features regional competitions that culminate in a global championship, highlighting the highest level of competition among VALORANT’s women athletes.

The Game Changers season encourages organizations to support regional teams and talent development through open qualifiers. After a full year of regional competition, the top teams face off on the global stage at the Game Changers Championship to claim the title of World Champion.

Game Changers spans four regions, each with a tailored format to align with regional goals:

• Game Changers Americas: Encompassing teams from North America, Brazil, and Latin America.

• Game Changers CN: Featuring teams across China.

• Game Changers EMEA: Representing countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

• Game Changers Pacific: Including teams from Korea, Japan, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
  

After a year of intense competition across multiple qualifiers worldwide, the season concludes with the Game Changers Championship in November, the pinnacle of the GC Circuit.

Premier, introduced in 2023 and continuously evolving, has become the cornerstone of VALORANT’s path-to-pro. By 2024, Premier enabled the promotion of over 40 teams into Challengers, establishing a clear entry point for aspiring professionals. This in-game system provides a structured pathway within the competitive ecosystem, empowering the next generation of superstars. Through Premier, players can form teams, join divisions, and compete in a season filled with weekly matches and tournaments.

In 2026, through its connection to Challengers, Premier is the first step in the Path to Champions

For details on divisions, seeding, format, and more, check out Everything You Need to Know About Premier.

2026 VCT Season Overview

The 2026 VCT season runs from January through October, continuing the aligned global schedule that brings the game and the sport closer together. This structure maintains a shorter offseason while giving teams clear windows to rest and prepare between stages.

Throughout the year, every competition awards Championship Points, ensuring meaningful stakes across the entire season and rewarding consistent performance as teams work toward qualifying for Champions Shanghai.

Season Overview

The season begins in January with the Kickoff Tournament, now featuring a triple-elimination format with 12 teams per region. This structure guarantees every team at least three matches and creates a more competitive opening to the season. The top teams from each region advance directly into Masters Santiago, now expanded to 12 teams to provide more cross-regional competition.

Following Kickoff, Stage 1 runs from March through May, with teams split into two single round robin groups across all International Leagues. The top-performing teams from each region qualify for Masters London.

Stage 2 starts off once again with teams split into two single round robin groups. The stage then introduces one of the most significant ecosystem updates to date: the Path to 

Champions, which replaces Ascension.

Under this model, each International League integrates its Tier 2 ecosystem directly into Stage 2 Playoffs. Challengers teams will earn entry through their respective regional competitions, joining partnered VCT teams in the Stage 2 Play-In bracket. Success in this phase, will advance teams to the Stage 2 Playoffs proper.

Qualification for Champions Shanghai

At the conclusion of Stage 2, teams qualify for Champions Shanghai through:

• Placement in Stage 2 Playoffs, and

• Total Championship Points accumulated across the season.
  

Champions Shanghai concludes the 2026 season and determines the VCT World Champion.

For full format details, refer to the official VCT 2026 Season Start announcement.