Valorant Champions 2026 is the world championship of Riot Games’ tactical shooter. The tournament takes place from Thursday 24 September to Sunday 18 October 2026 in Shanghai, China. Sixteen of the best teams in the world compete for the Valorant Champions trophy and a share of a prize pool set at around 2.25 million US dollars.
What is Valorant Champions?
Valorant Champions is the end-of-season world championship of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), Riot Games’ global esports competition for its 5v5 tactical first-person shooter Valorant. Teams qualify for Champions via their performance across the three regional VCT leagues (Americas, EMEA and Pacific) and the China VCT league, along with their results at the two Masters events held earlier in the year.
The 2026 tournament is the sixth edition of Valorant Champions and the final event on the VCT 2026 calendar. It is one of the biggest events in esports, with live studio and arena crowds, international broadcast coverage in multiple languages and millions of concurrent online viewers.
How the tournament works
Sixteen teams compete across a group stage followed by a double-elimination playoff bracket. The group stage uses four groups of four in a double-elimination format, with the top two from each group advancing. The playoffs are a 12-team double-elimination bracket culminating in a grand final played as a best-of-five. The grand finalists are drawn from the upper and lower brackets, and the lower-bracket winner must win the grand final twice to take the title.
When is Valorant Champions?
Valorant Champions 2026 runs from Thursday 24 September to Sunday 18 October 2026. The group stage is played first, followed by playoffs over the closing weeks. The grand final is scheduled for Sunday 18 October 2026 in Shanghai. Match start times vary across the tournament but typically run from the afternoon through to the evening local time (China Standard Time, UTC+8).
Where is Valorant Champions?
The 2026 tournament is held in Shanghai, China, at venues confirmed by Riot Games in advance of the event. It is the first time that China has hosted Valorant Champions and follows Riot’s decision to expand the premier Valorant event into new markets. Shanghai was previously announced as the host city alongside Paris (2027) as part of a multi-year plan for the tournament. The event features a group stage at a studio venue before moving to a larger arena for the playoff stages.
Key Contenders
The reigning Valorant Champions trophy holders enter as the team to beat. The VCT Pacific region, which covers Korea, Japan and South East Asia, has grown in strength in recent years, with organisations such as Paper Rex, DRX and Gen.G consistently reaching deep runs at international events. In the Americas, Sentinels, LOUD, Leviatan and NRG regularly carry the region’s hopes, while in EMEA, Fnatic, Team Liquid, Team Heretics and Team Vitality are among the top contenders. China’s own region, competing at home, will have strong representation from teams such as EDG, Bilibili Gaming and FPX.
International events in Valorant are notoriously hard to predict, and each edition of Champions so far has crowned a different winner, reflecting the depth of the global field.
How to Watch
Valorant Champions is streamed live in English on the official Valorant Twitch and YouTube channels. Riot Games produces additional co-streams in multiple languages including Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese and Thai. Community co-streams are permitted via the VCT partner programme, allowing content creators to broadcast the event on their own channels. The event is free to watch on all major platforms in every region, with no paywall or subscription required.
History and Records
The first Valorant Champions was held in December 2021 in Berlin and was won by Acend. Subsequent editions have been staged in Istanbul (2022, won by LOUD), Los Angeles (2023, won by Evil Geniuses), Seoul (2024) and in a European host city in 2025. The tournament has grown in scale every year, both in terms of prize money and attendance, and is regarded as one of the most prestigious annual events in esports. LOUD, Evil Geniuses, Acend and Paper Rex feature among the defining sides in the event’s short history.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for Valorant Champions 2026 are sold via the official Valorant esports website and authorised Chinese ticketing partners. Both group stage and playoff stage tickets are typically sold separately, with playoff weekend and the grand final the fastest to sell out. Prices range from general admission through to premium seating with access to meet-and-greet areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Valorant Champions 2026 start?
The tournament runs from Thursday 24 September to Sunday 18 October 2026, with the grand final on the closing Sunday.
Where is Valorant Champions being held?
In Shanghai, China, the first time the tournament has been hosted in the country.
How can I watch Valorant Champions?
Free on the official Valorant Twitch and YouTube channels, with co-streams in multiple languages and community broadcasts by approved VCT partners.
How many teams compete at Valorant Champions?
Sixteen teams qualify for the tournament through their results in the VCT regional leagues and Masters events.
Who won Valorant Champions 2025?
The 2025 Valorant Champions trophy went to the tournament winner from the September-October event, which took place in a European host city and closed the 2025 VCT season.