The first event of the VCT 2026 is Kickoff. It’s a regional tournament, where teams compete to qualify for the first global event of the year, Masters Santiago. If you’re interested in everything that’s happening during the 2026 Kickoff in the Pacific region, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s everything you need to know about the VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff schedule, standings, teams, new format, and a lot more.
Table of contents
All teams in VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff
12 teams are competing in Kickoff Pacific for three qualification spots to Masters Santiago. There have been a few last-minute changes to the team lineup at the end of 2025, but the final bracket includes VARREL, which bought SLT’s roster, and FULL SENSE, which replaced TALON.
Here are all the participating Pacific teams:
- DetonatioN FocusMe
- DRX
- Gen.G Esports
- Global Esports
- Paper Rex
- Rex Regum Qeon
- T1
- VARREL (Ascended)
- Team Secret
- ZETA DIVISION
- Nongshim RedForce (Ascended)
- FULL SENSE
The top 4 teams who qualified for Champions 2025 receive a first-round bye in the upper bracket, which means T1, DRX, PRX, and RRQ are joining the competition in the upper bracket’s quarterfinals.
New triple elimination format
Kickoff 2026 is the first VALORANT event to feature a triple elimination format. In this format, teams can lose up to three matches before going home. Teams start in the upper bracket, and then drop down to the middle and lower brackets with each loss, making it more exciting for viewers and those interested in the esports betting scene.
Each bracket (upper, middle, and lower) has its own finals, and the winning team secures a spot at Masters Santiago. The matches are played in a best-of-three (BO3) format, while the finals, as always, are a best-of-five (BO5).
During Kickoff, top teams can also earn Championship Points. Winner gets four points, second place secures three points, third place gets two points, and fourth place gets one point. At the end of the 2026 season, the two teams with the most points in the region qualify for VALORANT Champions Shanghai.
How to watch VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff
There are several official channels where you can watch VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff in your preferred language. There are official broadcasts in English, Korean, Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Hindi.
Here are all the official channels to watch VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff:
- English
- SOOP: VALORANT_EN
- Twitch: VALORANT Pacific
- YouTube: VCT Pacific
- Korean
- YouTube: VCT KR
- SOOP: VALORANT공식
- Chzzk: 발로란트 코리아
- Japanese
- Twitch: VALORANT JP
- YouTube: VALORANT JP
- Bahasa Indonesia
- SOOP: VALORANT Esports ID
- Twitch: VALORANT ID
- YouTube: VALORANT Esports Indonesia
- Thai
- SOOP: VALORANT Esports TH
- Twitch: VALORANT TH
- YouTube: VALORANTesportsTH
- Vietnamese
- YouTube: VALORANTesportsVN
- Mandarin
- Twitch: VALORANT TW
- YouTube:VALORANTesportsTW
- Hindi
- YouTube: VALORANTinsa
VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff schedule
VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff starts on Jan. 22 and runs until Feb. 15. The first week is packed with eight matches in the upper bracket, after which the teams start dropping down the middle bracket. The following two weeks are all about the middle and lower brackets, respectively.
During the last week of the competition, expect to see the remaining lower bracket matches as well as three days of finals for each bracket, deciding who is heading to the first Masters of the season.
Jan. 22 (Upper bracket round one)
- 4pm CST: NONGSHIM REDFORCE vs Team Secret
- 6pm CST: ZETA DIVISION vs FULL SENSE
Jan. 23 (Upper bracket round one)
- 4pm CST: VARREL vs GLOBAL ESPORTS
- 6pm CST: Detonation FocusMe vs Gen. G
Jan. 24 (Upper bracket quarterfinals)
- 4pm CST: TBD vs T1
- 6pm CST: TBD vs DRX
Jan. 25 (Upper bracket quarterfinals)
- 4pm CST: TBD vs Paper Rex
- 6pm CST: TBD vs Rex Regum Qeon
