VALORANT Champions 2026 preview: schedule, format, teams, and more

VALORANT Champions 2026 marks the culmination of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), drawing the world’s best teams to the bright lights of Shanghai, China.

From Sep. 24 to Oct. 18, teams from across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China will battle for the title of world champion and the lion’s share of a reported $2.25 million prize pool. Even more exciting, Riot’s overhauled qualification system means partner teams might not be the only ones fighting for the trophy.

Editor’s Note: This page was updated on Aug. 27, 2026, after Riot confirmed more qualified teams, the event venues, and ticket-sale information for VALORANT Champions Shanghai.

VALORANT Champions 2026 will take place in Shanghai, China, from Sep. 24 to Oct. 18. The group stage and early playoffs will be held at the Jing’an Sports Center before the tournament moves to the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong for finals weekend.

Riot confirmed that tickets for the Jing’an Sports Center matches will go on general sale on Sep. 2 at 11 AM China Standard Time (CST). International fans can purchase tickets through MAISEAT, while spectators in Mainland China must use the Damai platform. Mastercard holders outside Mainland China will also receive priority access from Aug. 30 to Sep. 1.

Shanghai is no stranger to high-profile VALORANT tournaments. The city hosted VCT Masters in 2024, which also culminated at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, and will once again take center stage when Champions arrives as part of the wider V26 Tour (V26 无畏巡回) in 2026.

What’s even more interesting, though, is that things have almost come full circle. VCT China joined the International League in 2024, right before EDward Gaming won Champs that same year. Now, EDG has already guaranteed a place at the first-ever VALORANT Champions held on home soil.

According to the Riot League Handbook, VALORANT Champions 2026 will initially separate the participating teams into four GSL-style groups of four, with all matches played as best-of-three series.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the double-elimination playoffs, while the bottom two teams will be eliminated. Playoff matches will also be played as best-of-three until the tail end of the tournament, where the lower final and grand final will switch to best-of-five matchups to decide who lifts the trophy.

Importantly, the final group draw has not yet been finalized at the time of writing, but teams will be seeded according to their qualification method. Riot will separate regional Stage 2 finishers from those qualified through Championship Points and prevent teams from the same region from being drawn together.

You can watch VALORANT Champions 2026 on the official YouTube and Twitch channels, alongside co-streamers and regional-language broadcasts.

Riot has not yet released the broadcast schedule for Champions Shanghai. However, its initial ticket announcement lists a 5 PM CST show start for matches held at the Jing’an Sports Center. Riot is also expected to roll out Pick’Ems, viewership rewards, and other Champions-themed content closer to and during the event.

VALORANT Champions 2026 will feature 16 teams. Each region will send its two Stage 2 finalists alongside the two highest-ranking eligible teams on the Championship Points ladder.

Seven teams have now qualified for Champions Shanghai. China’s four-team contingent is complete, while Team Vitality and FUT Esports have secured EMEA’s two Championship Points places. Paper Rex remains the only confirmed Pacific representative, with all four Americas spots still undecided.

The most striking change heading into VALORANT Champions 2026 is Riot’s new Path to Champions system.

Instead of keeping VCT and Challengers completely separate, top Challenger teams have been allowed to enter their respective Stage 2 competitions and fight established International League organizations for a spot in Shanghai.

Four Challenger representatives per region feed directly into the Stage 2 pathway in the Americas, EMEA, and Pacific, while China operates a slightly different domestic structure. Teams that survive the Play-In phase can reach the main Stage 2 playoffs, where nothing stands in their way of finishing in the top two and qualifying directly for Champions.

This creates a direct route from Premier to Challengers and potentially all the way to VALORANT’s crowning event, meaning Shanghai could feature a non-partner organization alongside the VCT’s traditional giants.

With nine places still undecided, it’s still too early to point out a definitive favorite. However, Riot’s Global Power Rankings paint an interesting picture of the teams currently leading the VCT 2026 season.

According to the rankings on Aug. 24, Paper Rex is the highest-rated qualified team, ranked second globally. Team Vitality sits ninth, followed by FUT Esports in 12th and TYLOO in 13th. EDward Gaming, Xi Lai Gaming, and JD Gaming are ranked 20th, 27th, and joint-36th, respectively.

The rankings will continue to change throughout the remaining Stage 2 Playoffs, but Paper Rex’s international consistency, EDward Gaming’s previous world title, and TYLOO’s recent domestic victory make all three worth watching in Shanghai.

If any confirmed team deserves to be an early favorite, it’s Paper Rex.

PRX has been one of the most dangerous VALORANT teams of 2026, boasting a strong 25–9 season record (73.5% win rate) and placing 2nd at both Masters Santiago and Masters London.

Unfortunately, silverware has repeatedly slipped through their fingers. Nongshim RedForce swept Paper Rex 3–0 in Santiago before Leviatán edged the Pacific powerhouse 3–2 in an incredibly close Masters London Grand Final.

Nevertheless, two international runner-up finishes have given PRX a massive Championship Points haul and removed any qualification pressure from Stage 2. The bigger question is whether the team can finally turn another deep international run into a world title.

EDward Gaming enters from a very different position.

The Chinese giant may not currently sit alongside Paper Rex and Leviatán at the very top of Riot’s Global Power Rankings. Still, Shanghai offers something no other confirmed team can replicate: the opportunity to fight for a world championship in front of its home crowd.

EDG has also already proven its ceiling. The organization won VALORANT Champions 2024, delivering China’s first world championship during the region’s inaugural season in the VCT ecosystem. EDG also reached the final four at Masters London, but eventually fell 3–0 to Leviatán in the lower final.

With its Champions ticket already secured through Championship Points, the pressure now shifts from qualifying to finding the form required to make another deep international run.

TYLOO will arrive in Shanghai as one of the tournament’s most interesting dark horses.

The Chinese team avenged an earlier upper-bracket defeat to JD Gaming by beating them 3–1 in the VCT China Stage 2 grand final. The result secured TYLOO its first regional VCT title and completed an outstanding lower-bracket run through the playoffs.

TYLOO might not possess the same international pedigree as Paper Rex or EDward Gaming, but its recent form and the opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd make it a dangerous opponent heading into its first VALORANT Champions appearance.

VALORANT Champions 2026 has a reported $2.25 million prize pool, with a massive $1 million chunk reserved for the world champion.

To note, Riot has not yet published its official prize breakdown, but we can assume it will follow the same distribution as last year.

VALORANT Champions 2026 will take place from Sep. 24 to Oct. 18, 2026, serving as the final international tournament of the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour season.

VALORANT Champions 2026 will be held across two venues in Shanghai, China: Jing’an Sports Center (group stage and early playoffs) and Mercedes-Benz Arena (finals weekend).

Sixteen teams will compete at Champions Shanghai, with four representatives qualifying from each of the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China regions.

Each region sends its top two Stage 2 playoff finishers, along with the top two eligible teams by Championship Points. The 2026 Path to Champions system also allows Challenger teams to compete through Stage 2 and potentially qualify directly for Shanghai.

VALORANT Champions 2026 has a reported $2.25 million prize pool, with $1 million allocated to the winning team.

NRG won VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris and will attempt to defend its world championship in Shanghai — if they qualify for the 2026 event.