VCT 2026 begins on September 24 in Shanghai, China, and runs through October 18. Sixteen teams from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China regions will compete for a $2,250,000 prize pool, with $1,000,000 going to the winner. This is the last Champions event under VALORANT’s franchised system, as the league moves back to open qualifiers in 2027.
VCT 2026 runs from September 24 to October 18 in Shanghai and uses two venues. Jing’an Sports Center hosts the Group Stage and the early rounds of Playoffs, with a capacity of 5,600. Mercedes-Benz Arena takes over for the Top 4 and Grand Final, holding up to 18,000 fans.
The 16 teams are split into 4 groups of 4, with one team from each region in every group. Group Stage matches are best-of-three, and the top 2 teams in each group move on to a double-elimination Playoffs bracket. The Grand Final on October 18 is best-of-five. NRG enters the event as the defending 2025 champions.
Here is a look at the top 5 teams and top 5 players to watch during the event.
Top 5 Teams to Watch at VCT 2026
- 100 Thieves: 100 Thieves struggled early in the 2026 season but turned things around in the back half of the year. They won the Esports World Cup, then beat NRG and LEVIATAN on their way to the VCT Americas Stage 2 title. Their win over LOUD in the Stage 2 Grand Final secured the Americas’ first seed for Champions.
- NRG: NRG lifted the VALORANT Champions trophy in 2025 and return to Shanghai to defend it. The team qualified through Championship Points rather than a Stage 2 final run. Their title last year makes them a threat regardless of how they got here.
- Nongshim RedForce: Nongshim RedForce had a breakout 2026 season. The Pacific side won Masters Santiago, beating Paper Rex in the final, and locked in their Champions spot through Championship Points before Stage 2 even ended. IGL Goo “Rb” Sang-Min returns to Champions for the first time in three years. The team later lost the VCT Pacific Stage 2 final to Global Esports, but their international results this year remain hard to ignore.
- Paper Rex: Paper Rex was the first team in the world to clinch a Champions 2026 spot. Runner-up finishes at Masters Santiago and Masters London, plus a VCT Pacific Stage 1 title, were enough to qualify them through Championship Points. The Singaporean roster has stayed a fixture on the international stage all season.
- TYLOO: TYLOO enters Champions as VCT China’s first seed after winning their first-ever regional trophy. The team beat JD Gaming 3-1 in the Stage 2 Grand Final, capping a turnaround led by IGL Pong “SiuFatBB” Ka Hei. Player Sun “slowly” Kelun was named Stage 2 Finals MVP and later won VCT China’s Player of the Year award, finishing just ahead of EDward Gaming’s ZmjjKK. With Champions being held in China for the first time, TYLOO will have the home crowd behind them.
Top 5 Players to Watch at VCT 2026
- ZmjjKK (EDward Gaming): ZmjjKK was the Finals MVP when EDward Gaming won VALORANT Champions in 2024. He also won the Stage 1 regular-season MVP award in 2026. Rival teams pushed his dominance harder this season than in past years, but he remains one of the most consistent players in China.
- Dambi (Nongshim RedForce): Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu had a breakout year in 2026. Regarded as one of the best Neon players and entry duelists in the world, he started the season undefeated and was named MVP after Nongshim RedForce won Masters Santiago.
- Cryocells (100 Thieves): 100 Thieves moved Cryocells away from his usual Jett and Chamber picks in 2026 and shifted him into a more sentinel-focused role, while teammate Timotino took over as the main duelist. The change paid off. Cryocells posted a 1.13 rating and 11 clutches at the Esports World Cup, and put up a series-high 74% KAST across three different agents in the Americas Stage 2 Grand Final against LOUD.
- N4RRATE (Karmine Corp): N4RRATE left Sentinels and returned to Karmine Corp, where he helped the team win VCT EMEA Stage 2. His experience on the international stage makes him one of the more dangerous EMEA players heading into Shanghai.
- PatMen (Global Esports): PatMen was central to Global Esports’ run through the Pacific postseason. The team reverse-swept Masters Santiago champions Nongshim RedForce in the VCT Pacific Stage 2 Grand Final, giving the organization its first-ever VCT trophy.
VCT 2026 runs until October 18, when one team will be crowned the last champion of VALORANT‘s franchised era.
