Valorant Champions, the biggest event of the year, is just on the horizon, and the excitement within the game’s community is palpable.
Scheduled to take place in Shanghai from September 24 through October 18, Champions 2026 marks the tournament’s first-ever visit to the city, having previously hosted Masters Shanghai back in 2024.
The event will feature sixteen elite Valorant teams from across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China, who will compete for a whopping $2.25 million USD prize pool and a shot at joining the list of title holders.
All Qualified Teams for Valorant Champions 2026
As we head into the final stretch of VCT Stage 2, seven teams have already booked their tickets to Shanghai:
- TYLOO (China)
- JD Gaming (China)
- EDward Gaming (China)
- XLG Esports (China)
- FUT Esports (EMEA)
- Team Vitality (EMEA)
- Paper Rex (Pacific)
China has produced the most qualifiers to date. Reigning 2024 champions EDward Gaming built a consistent season and claimed their berth through accumulated points. JD Gaming overcame a shaky start to the year and clawed its way into Champions by reaching the Stage 2 final. XLG Esports, a newer organization that only entered the scene in 2023, grabbed a spot through the region’s points standings. TYLOO secured its ticket after knocking BLG out of the lower bracket in a clean sweep.
Out of the Pacific, Paper Rex has claimed a points-based qualification. The squad remains one of the region’s most consistent performers and will be looking to finally break through for a title after falling short in the 2023 grand final.
EMEA has sent two teams so far. FUT Esports earned its place through the region’s points system, marking the Turkish roster’s third trip to Champions. Team Vitality also secured a slot, fielding a roster built around former Fnatic stars Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev and Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov after Fnatic missed out on Champions entirely for the first time in VCT history.
Nine spots remain open as Stage 2 playoffs wrap up across every region, so the full 16-team lineup should be revealed in the coming weeks.
