The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) represents the pinnacle of competitive Valorant, uniting the best teams from four international leagues: VCT Americas, VCT EMEA, VCT Pacific, and VCT China. The 2026 season introduces new structural updates to make qualifying for international tournaments more competitive than ever. Here is a comprehensive guide to how the entire VCT season flows, from kickoff events to Champions.
The Four Regional Leagues
The structure is mirrored across the four global regions. Each region consists of 11 partnered teams plus promoted 'Ascension' teams. They compete in dedicated studios in Los Angeles (Americas), Berlin (EMEA), Seoul (Pacific), and Shanghai (China).
Phase 1: The Kickoff Tournament
Every season begins with a rapid, high-stakes Kickoff tournament in each region. The 11+ teams are split into groups, playing double-elimination brackets. The top two teams from each regional kickoff qualify directly for the first global international event of the year, Masters Santiago.
Phase 2: Stage 1 and Masters London
Following Masters Santiago, teams return home to begin Stage 1 of the regular season. Here, teams are split into two groups (Alpha and Omega) and play cross-group matches. The top three teams from each region's Stage 1 playoffs qualify for Masters London.
Masters London represents a mid-season checkpoint, featuring 12 teams (3 from each of the 4 leagues). Winning Masters London grants teams massive Championship Points, boosting their chances of securing a spot at Champions.
Phase 3: Stage 2 and Champions Qualification
Stage 2 consists of intra-group matches (teams playing within their own Alpha or Omega groups). The combined results of Stage 1 and Stage 2 determine the seeding for the Stage 2 regional playoffs. The top three teams from the Stage 2 playoffs in each region qualify directly for Valorant Champions.
The fourth and final spot for each region is awarded to the team with the highest remaining Championship Points who has not already qualified. This ensures that consistent performance throughout the entire year is rewarded, even if a team has a single bad playoff run.
The Grand Finale: Valorant Champions
Champions is the ultimate tournament of the year, featuring the top 16 teams globally. They compete over three weeks in a GSL group stage followed by a double-elimination playoff bracket to crown the Valorant World Champion.