Following some intense battles and heartbreaking exits, the group stage of Valorant Champions 2026 came to a conclusion on October 4, and the field is now down from 16 teams to 8.
With the playoffs for the event being only days away, the eight remaining teams are all set to play out a double-elimination playoff bracket for the world title and the lion’s share of a $2.25 million USD prize pool.
In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about the Valorant Champions 2026 Playoffs before it officially kicks off, including the brackets, qualified teams, schedule, and where you can watch the event live.
Qualified Teams
Here’s a list of all the teams that have managed to make it out of the Group Stage of Valorant Champions 2026:
- Group A: 100 Thieves and T1
- Group B: Team Vitality and LOUD
- Group C: Paper Rex and G2 Esports
- Group D: NRG and Nongshim RedForce
Notably, all Chinese teams were eliminated in the group stage. That includes TYLOO, JD Gaming, EDward Gaming and Xi Lai Gaming. Karmine Corp, Team Liquid, FUT Esports and Global Esports also went out.
Paper Rex are among the favourites to win Valorant Champions 2026. They reached the Masters final in both Santiago and London but lost both and are still looking for a first world title. Nongshim RedForce won Masters Santiago. Vitality, a top-ranked EMEA side, is the only European team left.
Valorant Champions 2026 Playoffs Bracket
The eight remaining teams will duke it out in a double-elimination bracket from October 7. Every series is best-of-three, except the lower bracket final and grand final, which are best-of-five. A team that loses in the upper bracket drops to the lower bracket. A second loss in the lower bracket means elimination.
The Upper Bracket Quarterfinals are:
- NRG vs T1
- Paper Rex vs LOUD
- 100 Thieves vs G2 Esports
- Team Vitality vs Nongshim RedForce
Winners move into the Upper Bracket Semifinals, and losers drop to the lower bracket. The rest of the bracket will fill in as results come in.
Valorant Champions 2026 Playoffs Schedule
The playoffs for the Valorant Champions 2026 run from October 7 to October 18, starting off at the Jing’an Sports Center before moving to the Mercedes-Benz Arena on the finals weekend, with the grand final scheduled for October 18.
Here’s the detailed schedule for the playoffs (all times are in Pacific Time):
| Date | Match | Stage | Time |
| Oct 7 | NRG vs T1 | UB Quarterfinal | 2:00 AM PT |
| Oct 7 | Paper Rex vs LOUD | UB Quarterfinal | 5:00 AM PT |
| Oct 8 | 100 Thieves vs G2 | UB Quarterfinal | 2:00 AM PT |
| Oct 8 | Vitality vs Nongshim | UB Quarterfinal | 5:00 AM PT |
| Oct 9 | TBD (2 matches) | LB Round 1 | 2:00 / 5:00 AM PT |
| Oct 10 | TBD (2 matches) | UB Semifinals | 2:00 / 5:00 AM PT |
| Oct 11 | TBD (2 matches) | LB Quarterfinals | 2:00 / 5:00 AM PT |
| Oct 15 | TBD | UB Final | 11:00 PM PT |
| Oct 16 | TBD | LB Semifinal | 2:00 AM PT |
| Oct 17 | TBD | LB Final (Bo5) | 12:00 AM PT |
| Oct 17 | TBD | Grand Final (Bo5) | 11:00 PM PT |
Where to Watch Valorant Champions 2026 Playoffs
All games from the Valorant Champions 2026 playoffs will be streamed live on the official Twitch, YouTube, and Kick handles of the shooter. Riot also runs co-streams in several languages, and approved creators can broadcast the event under the VCT partner programme. Viewers can also earn free in-game rewards in the form of Twitch Drops by linking their Twitch and Riot accounts.
