Riot Games has revealed the full roadmap for the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), outlining host cities for major tournaments, structural updates to event formats, and a new competitive pathway for aspiring teams. The announcement highlights the company’s goal of expanding VALORANT Esports’ global reach while refining its competitive integrity.

The 2026 season will again include two Masters events and the season-ending Champions tournament. Following the conclusion of regional Kickoff tournaments, the first Masters will take place in Santiago, Chile—the first international VALORANT event in Latin America since 2023’s LOCK//IN in São Paulo. The second Masters will move to London, United Kingdom, marking the city’s debut as a VCT host after previously featuring in League of Legends esports events.

The season will culminate with Champions 2026 in Shanghai, China, returning to the city that hosted a Masters event in 2024. The Shanghai tournament will determine the world champion and close out the competitive calendar.

2026 VALORANT Champions Tour Roadmap Revealed

In addition to new venues, Riot Games is implementing a Triple Elimination format for the VCT Kickoff tournaments—introducing a deeper, three-tiered bracket system designed to give teams more chances to recover from early losses. The Masters events are also expanding, with both now featuring 12 teams instead of the previous 8 and 12 split, offering more matches and opportunities for international competition.

Stage 2 Finals for each international league will be held as “Destination Events,” special live tournaments hosted at unique global venues distinct from regular-season arenas. Riot says this approach aims to bring esports to a wider variety of audiences.

For the first time, Challengers teams—the tier below the international leagues—will have a direct path to Champions through Stage 2 playoffs. Four Challengers teams per region will compete for a spot at the world championship, completing a full competitive pipeline from Premier → Challengers → International Leagues → Champions. Qualified teams will receive travel and lodging support from Riot, along with a new points system to encourage consistent performance.