VCT EMEA Stage 1 is where the European and Middle East teams come back to compete in the first league of the 2026 VALORANT season, and finally, to make it to the Masters London, along with Championship Points.
Riot has split the field into two groups, Alpha and Omega, and every match will count from the first day. Three teams from this roster of 12 will proceed to London later this year.
With that said, here’s everything you need to know about VCT EMEA Stage 1, including schedule, format, all teams, and more.
Table of contents
VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1 schedule
The Group stage runs from April 1 to May 17, 2026. Riot has confirmed that the Group Stage will run till May 1 before the Playoffs begin on May 7, with the tournament ending on May 17 at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin.
All regular-season show days start at 5pm CEST, while the final two days of the Playoffs begin at 6pm CEST.
VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1 matches
Here’s the full schedule:
Group Stage matches
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
- FNATIC vs Eternal Fire
- Team Liquid vs Karmine Corp
Thursday, April 2, 2026
- Team Liquid vs GIANTX
- Gentle Mates vs FUT Esports
Friday, April 3, 2026
- Team Heretics vs NAVI
- BBL Esports vs PCIFIC Esports
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
- PCIFIC Esports vs GIANTX
- BBL Esports vs Eternal Fire
Thursday, April 9, 2026
- FNATIC vs Team Vitality
- Team Liquid vs Team Heretics
Friday, April 10, 2026
- FUT Esports vs NAVI
- Gentle Mates vs Karmine Corp
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
- BBL Esports vs GIANTX
- Gentle Mates vs NAVI
Thursday, April 16, 2026
- Eternal Fire vs Team Vitality
- Karmine Corp vs Team Heretics
Friday, April 17, 2026
- FUT Esports vs Team Liquid
- PCIFIC Esports vs FNATIC
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
- Eternal Fire vs PCIFIC Esports
- Gentle Mates vs Team Heretics
Thursday, April 23, 2026
- GIANTX vs FNATIC
- Karmine Corp vs FUT Esports
Friday, April 24, 2026
- NAVI vs Team Liquid
- BBL Esports vs Team Vitality
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
- Team Heretics vs FUT Esports
- Team Vitality vs PCIFIC Esports
Thursday, April 30, 2026
- NAVI vs Karmine Corp
- BBL Esports vs FNATIC
Friday, May 1, 2026
- GIANTX vs Eternal Fire
- Gentle Mates vs Team Liquid
All qualified teams for VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1
Here are all the 12 squads that are a part of VCT EMEA Pacific Stage 1:
- Gentle Mates
- BBL Esports
- Team Heretics
- FNATIC
- FUT Esports
- Team Vitality
- Natus Vincere
- GIANTX
- Karmine Corp
- Eternal Fire
- Team Liquid
- PCIFIC Esports
Teams got drawn into Alpha and Omega based on Kickoff seeds:
| Group Alpha | Group Omega |
|---|---|
| Gentle Mates (Europe) | BBL Esports (Turkey) |
| Team Heretics (Europe) | FNATIC (Europe) |
| FUT Esports (Turkey) | Team Vitality (Europe) |
| Natus Vincere (Europe) | GIANTX (Europe) |
| Karmine Corp (Europe) | Eternal Fire (Turkey) |
| Team Liquid (Europe) | PCIFIC Esports (Turkey) |
VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1 Championship Points distribution
| Position | Team | Championship Points | Masters London Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | TBD | 6 | Masters London |
| 2nd | TBD | 4 | Masters London |
| 3rd | TBD | 3 | Masters London |
| 4th | TBD | 2 | – |
| 5th and 6th | TBD | – | |
| 5th and 6th | TBD | – | |
| 7th and 8th | TBD | – | |
| 7th and 8th | TBD | – | |
| 9th and 10th | TBD | – | |
| 9th and 10th | TBD | – | |
| 11th and 12th | TBD | – | |
| 11th and 12th | TBD | – |
How to watch VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1
The entire EMEA Stage 1 will be aired on their official channels on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok for main broadcasts.
There’ll be separate streams for other languages, and you can find them all below:
Americas, China, and Pacific teams also go back to their respective regions for a shot at VCT Masters London later this year.
