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Updated formats and more chances to play in the biggest VALORANT stage await us next year.
With Champions Paris under wraps, everyone’s now looking ahead to VCT 2026, where exciting updates await the competitive season.
First up are the locations of VCT 2026’s three big international events. The start of the season will have us heading to South America for Masters Santiago. Then it’s back to Europe for Master London, the UK’s big debut as an international VALORANT host. Afterwards, we cap off the year in China for Champions Shanghai.
Twenty-twenty-six will also see a number of experiments and improvements to the VCT format to be applied to all regions. Case in point: the start-of-the-year Kickoff tournament is featuring a brand new Triple Elimination format. Simply put, every team has three chances before they’re out of the tournament. This means that everyone’s playing more games to be one of the three teams to qualify for Master Santiago.
Masters is seeing an upgrade as well, and each one will now feature 12 teams. This means more games, more stakes, and more VCT points for teams to grab to ensure their spot at VCT 2026 Champions.
Topping it all off is that every Stage 2 playoff final will be hosted in a different venue for every league. This makes VCT 2026 a truly glob-trotting season, with China being the most ambitious of all with their 2026 circuit touring five different cities within the region.
From Challengers to Champions
Speaking of the Stage 2 playoffs, Challenger-level teams now have a clearer goal ahead of them in VCT 2026. For the first time ever, each international league will be letting in four of their best Challenger teams into the Stage 2 playoffs, effectively giving them a chance to make it to Champions 2026.
This Path to Champions is the VCT’s commitment to opening up the competition to those who put the time in. Challenger teams who qualify for the Stage 2 playoffs will receive a cash stipend to assist with travel and attendance. And if they do make it to the Champions stage, they’ll receive all the benefits and compensation from digital goods tied to the event.
VCT 2026 is certainly shaping up to be VALORANT’s biggest season yet. With bigger stakes for both pros and amateurs alike, it’ll be exciting to see how all the action shakes out next year.
Banner photo from VALORANT Champions Tour.