Riot Unveils Full VCT 2026 Schedule: Kickoff to Champions Roadmap

Discover the complete VCT 2026 schedule by Riot Games. From regional Kickoffs to Shanghai's Champions, explore every VCT 2026 schedule detail now!

Image Credit: Riot Games

Riot Games dropped the complete VCT 2026 schedule on December 2, 2025, via Valorant Esports. It kicks off January 15 with regional Kickoffs and wraps October 18 in Shanghai's Champions. Expect triple-elim brackets everywhere, 12-team Masters, and a direct Challengers path - no Ascension. 12 teams per International League (IL): Americas, EMEA, Pacific, China.

This guide covers every date, format, qualification path, and change. Just print this and plan your year.

VCT 2026 Schedule: Full Event Calendar

Event	Dates	Location(s)	Teams
Kickoff (All Regions)	Jan 15-Feb 15	Regional hubs (LA, Berlin, Seoul, China TBD)	12/league
Masters Santiago	Feb 28-Mar 15	Santiago, Chile	12
Stage 1 (IL)	Mar 31-May 24	Regional hubs	12/league
Masters London	Jun 6-21	London, UK	12
Stage 2 (IL + Challengers)	Jun 30-Sep 6	Regional roadshows	12 IL + 4 Challengers/ league
Champions Shanghai	Sep 24-Oct 18	Shanghai, China	16 (4/league)
Game Changers	Oct-Nov	TBD	TBD

China: Full roadshow across 5 cities. Official Schedule Image

VCT 2026 Schedule Formats: Bracket-Only Era

No more Swiss or groups, all do-or-die brackets.

Top 4 from 2025 Champs get Kickoff byes.

Kickoff (12 Teams/League)

• Triple-elimination bracket (3 losses = out).

• Top 3 advance to Masters Santiago.

• Winner = 4 Champs points; 2nd = 3; 3rd = 2; 4th = 1.

  
  

Masters Events (12 Teams Each)

• Santiago: Top 3/league from Kickoff.

• London: Top 3/league from Stage 1.

• Bracket format (details TBD, expect double-elimination playoffs).

• Champs points awarded (TBD scale).

  
  

Stage 1 (12 Teams/League)

• Split into 2 groups of 6.

• Single round-robin Best of 3 (5 matches/team).

• Bottom 2/group eliminated.

• Top 4/group → playoffs (top 3 overall to Masters London).

  
  

Stage 2 (IL + Challengers Path)

• 12 IL teams + 4 Challengers qualifiers/league.

• Playoffs as live roadshows (new cities TBD early 2026).

• $75K stipend/team for travel/visas (Riot covers everything, teams handles only docs/hotels).

• Champs Qualifications: 2 via playoffs + 2 via refreshed Champs points.

  
  

  Challengers Qualification (no Ascension):

Region	How 4 Slots Filled
Americas	Top NA Challengers, top Brazil, LATAM finalist, Last Chance (2nd NA/Brazil + LATAM loser)
EMEA	Top 4 via Challengers points/placements
Pacific	Top SEA/Japan/Korea; Last Chance (2nd/3rd SEA + top South Asia/Oceania)
China	TBD soon

Champions Shanghai (16 Teams)

• 4 teams/league (as above).

• Bracket format TBD.

• Roster rules: Challengers need 3 regional/2 global players.

  
  

Key Changes from 2025

• Brackets only (bye Swiss/groups).

• Kickoff: Triple-elimination (more matches than before).

• Masters will have 12 teams (was 8 before).

• Challengers: Direct Stage 2 (no Ascension or visitor slots).

• More roadshows (Stage 2 playoffs).

• China: 5-city tour.

• Points refresh; no Academy to Champs.

New IL teams: ENVY, PCIFIC, ULF, SLT Seongnam (ascended); Nongshim/Dragon Ranger return.

For more info visit - Official EYNTK | Liquipedia |