Riot Games has announced their updated plans for VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) next year and beyond, and the VCT 2026 roadmap will start a bold new era for the competitive shooter.
The global tour next year will start with marquee events across Santiago, London, and Shanghai. The pro circuit will also include the “Path to Champions” for Challengers teams, closing the gap between tier one and tier two scenes.
They have also announced major format overhauls, including the shift to triple-elimination for Kickoff and expanded Masters events, which will make the competition fiercer with high stakes involved.
Here’s everything you need to know about the VCT 2026 roadmap, including the tournaments, Challengers Path to Champions, and more changes.
Global VCT and Champions events and locations
2026 will mark the international debut of Latin America and the U.K., as they are set to host their first-ever global VCT events. LATAM will have Masters 1 in Santiago, Chile, marking Riot’s first return to South America since LOCK//IN. It will be followed by Masters 2 in London, England, bringing VCT back to Europe.
VALORANT Champions 2026 will be held in Shanghai. Not only that, the VCT China circuit will visit five major cities, making it the region’s most ambitious road tour yet.
Challengers Path to Champions
VCT Ascension gets removed, paving way to a new system that opens the door for Challengers teams to qualify directly for Champions through standout performances in their respective Stage 2 Playoffs.
Each international league will send four Challengers teams to the Stage 2 Playoffs, and Riot has confirmed they will cover travel expenses and provide a financial stipend to the qualified teams. This will be done to reduce the load on the tier two organizations, so they can focus more on their performance and invest in better staff.
Teams will accrue points across stages, with the top performers in regional circuits, including VALORANT Premier, earning the chance to make it to Shanghai. The teams that will qualify for Champions will also earn meaningful rewards, such as significant compensation from digital goods connected to the event.
New tournament format
All major VCT events in 2026 will witness the Swiss and group stages getting sidelined, as a bracket-style format will take over.
Kickoff tournaments will run on a triple-elimination format, with the top three teams qualifying for Masters Santiago. This change will increase the total number of matches per team across all leagues. The first Masters will feature 12 teams, aligning with the format currently used at the second Masters.
The final weekend of Stage 2 Playoffs across all regions will be in-person destination events, inviting live audiences and amplifying esports community energy.
Additionally, Premier players who want to make a run at VALORANT Champions can do that by ranking up and winning the Invite Division in Premier first or by winning a Qualifier event at their local Challenger League. Then, they have to defeat the incumbent team to be promoted to the local Challenger League. Finally, they need to win their regional Challenger League for a spot in the “Path to Champs.” Riot will share the region-specific details later this year.
The 2026 roadmap of the VALORANT esports scene sounds exciting, as it is slated to introduce more international venues with more accessible pathways for broader opportunities.
