Vortex Gaming

Riot Games has unveiled the new operating methods and tournament schedule for the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) season. Key changes include the introduction of a triple elimination format for the Kickoff tournament and a new pathway for Challengers teams to advance to Champions.

In the 2026 season, a total of 48 teams will compete across each region (Pacific, Americas, EMEA, CN), including newly promoted teams from the 2025 VCT Ascension. During Stage 2, each region will host an offline roadshow.

VCT Kickoff, the start of the season, will be completely revamped with a triple elimination format. 12 teams from each region will participate, with three chances to determine the final standings. The 4 teams that advanced to Champions Paris will start from Round 2, while the remaining 8 teams will play in Round 1 first.

With the triple elimination format, each team will have at least three match opportunities. The top 3 teams that survive will earn a spot at Masters Santiago. Previously, there were 2 Masters slots, but this has been increased to 3. Kickoff will begin in January 2026.

Stage 1, which takes place after the first Masters, will operate the same as before. The 12 teams are divided into two groups and play in a single round-robin format, with all matches being best-of-three. The top 4 teams from each group will advance to the Stage 1 playoffs, and the top 3 teams from the playoffs will earn a spot at Masters London.

Stage 2 is the final step towards qualifying for Champions Shanghai. The 12 teams will compete again, and the Stage 2 playoffs will be held in a new city for each international league in an offline roadshow format. The regions hosting the roadshows will be announced soon.

The biggest change in the 2026 season is the official implementation of the 'Path to Champions' system. VALORANT Champions is the final international tournament of the VCT season, and previously only 4 teams could qualify: the top 2 teams from Stage 2 and the top 2 teams with Championship Points from each region.

Under the new system, Challengers teams can also advance to the Stage 2 playoffs based on their performance. 4 Challengers teams from each region can advance to the Stage 2 playoffs, but the method of advancement varies by region.

In the Pacific region, the Korean, Japanese, and Southeast Asian (SEA) Challengers winning teams will each secure one ticket. The final ticket will be decided through a Last Chance Qualifier between the South Asian winning team, the Oceania winning team, and the 2nd and 3rd place teams from Southeast Asia.

Riot Games stated that this roadmap expands the competitive structure and strengthens the connection between regional ecosystems. The plan is to develop the VALORANT esports ecosystem by providing more players and teams with opportunities to compete on the international stage.

웹진 인벤양영석 기자
2025-12-04