VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 will crown the final world champion of the current VCT franchise era, and 14 of the 16 competing teams are now confirmed. Riot Games will host the tournament in Shanghai, China, from September 24 to October 18, marking the first time China stages VALORANT‘s biggest event of the year. Four teams have already qualified from the China, EMEA, and Pacific leagues, while 2 of the 4 Americas spots remain open.
This article lists every confirmed team, explains the qualification paths, and covers the format and prize pool for the tournament.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 Qualified Teams
Sixteen teams will compete at VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026, with 4 coming from each of the 4 international leagues: China, EMEA, Pacific, and Americas.
Teams qualify through 2 paths. The top 2 finishers in each league’s Stage 2 playoffs earn a direct spot. The remaining 2 spots per league go to the highest-ranked teams in Championship Points, based on results across Kickoff, Stage 1, and the 2 Masters events.
| Region | Team | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| China | JD Gaming | Stage 2 |
| China | TYLOO | Stage 2 |
| China | EDward Gaming | Championship Points |
| China | Xi Lai Gaming | Championship Points |
| Pacific | Paper Rex | Championship Points |
| Pacific | Nongshim RedForce | Championship Points |
| Pacific | Global Esports | Confirmed |
| Pacific | T1 | Confirmed |
| EMEA | Team Vitality | Championship Points |
| EMEA | FUT Esports | Championship Points |
| EMEA | Team Liquid | Stage 2 |
| EMEA | Karmine Corp | Stage 2 |
| Americas | NRG | Championship Points |
| Americas | G2 Esports | Championship Points |
| Americas | TBD | Stage 2 |
| Americas | TBD | Stage 2 |
China and Pacific were the first leagues to lock in all 4 representatives. EMEA followed with Vitality, FUT, Team Liquid, and Karmine Corp all confirmed. Americas is still finalizing its Stage 2 playoffs, so its final 2 seats remain open.
NRG returns as the defending 2025 champion. Previous Champions include Evil Geniuses in 2023 and EDward Gaming in 2024.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 Format
The 16 qualified teams will be split into 4 groups of 4, with each group containing 1 team from every region. Group play uses a GSL-style double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-three. Two teams from each group advance, while the other two are eliminated.
The playoff stage also runs on double-elimination. All playoff matches are best-of-three, except the grand final, which is played as a best-of-five.
Schedule and Prize Pool
VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 runs from September 24 to October 18. The event carries a total prize pool of $2.25 million, with $1 million going to the winning team.
This will be the last Champions held under VCT’s current franchise structure. The tour moves to a more open format starting in 2027. Shanghai previously hosted VALORANT Masters in 2024, where Gen.G Esports won the title.
