Sheep Esports reported Riot’s 2027–2028 VCT partnership structure as a 32-organization field across EMEA, Pacific, China and the Americas, while warning its live list was still being updated.
The report, published on October 19, 2026, said each region would have eight partner organizations, down from 10. It listed confirmed selections and reported exclusions, but its EMEA section remained a work in progress, so the visible names do not establish a complete final lineup.
Partnership status and competitive access
The two-year cycle pairs a smaller partner pool with a format that introduces open qualifiers. Partnership status does not guarantee a place in Cups or LAN events, according to the report; selected organizations instead retain baseline revenue from Riot Games and receive in-game skins.
Non-partner teams are not necessarily leaving VALORANT. The more open circuit gives successful teams a route to qualify for international LANs and earn revenue from Riot, a change with implications for how organizations weigh established partner benefits against investment in the wider competitive ecosystem. Esports Insider has previously examined the relationship between VCT’s partnered teams and Tier 2.
Names reported across the regions
The visible EMEA entries were Team Heretics, BBL Esports and Fnatic. In Pacific, the report named Paper Rex, T1, FULL SENSE, RRQ Esports and Crazy Raccoon; the rendered table also showed Bilibili Gaming.
China’s listed organizations included EDward Gaming, JD Gaming, TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming and Weibo Gaming, with All Gamers also visible in the table. The Americas entries were LOUD, G2 Esports, NRG, Sentinels, MIBR, KRÜ and LEVIATÁN.
The reported exclusions spanned all four regions, including Movistar KOI, KIWOOM DRX, FunPlus Phoenix, Cloud9, FURIA, Shopify Rebellion and M80. Sheep Esports also listed Global Esports among the Pacific teams left out and said the organization had announced its departure from esports. Pacific’s representation and team landscape have been a point of discussion as the circuit changes.
Regional shifts and next updates
G2 Esports joins the reported Americas field after holding a guest slot since 2024. In China, XLG Esports is set to move from a guest slot to a two-year partnership after winning Ascension in 2024 and appearing at each international LAN since Masters Toronto 2025; Weibo Gaming is expected to return to the partner circuit after re-entering VALORANT in early 2026.
The China selections and departures form part of a broader regional reshuffle, with commercial partnership no longer a guarantee of tournament appearances. Sheep Esports said it would update its report as further information emerged from sources and official team announcements; the EMEA list was specifically still in progress.
