VALORANT Champions Tour

VALORANT VCT: the format, the regions and how to follow it

VCT is the VALORANT Champions Tour, Riot’s official esports circuit and the only route to a Valorant world title. It is not one tournament but a year-long system made of regional leagues and international events, ending at Champions. This page explains the tiers, the regions, the 2027 return to open qualifiers, and how to follow the action.

Published 2026-10-18Updated 2026-10-18

Full name: VALORANT Champions Tour
Season tiers: Kickoff, Masters, Champions
Regional leagues: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, China
Champions 2026: Shanghai — final edition of the franchise era
Biggest change: Open qualifiers return in 2027
Season result: LOUD won Champions 2026
Earlier Masters: Masters Santiago — won by Nongshim RedForce
Next Masters: London

What is the VCT?

VCT stands for the VALORANT Champions Tour — Riot’s official esports circuit and the only route to a Valorant world title. Everything competitive sits inside it: the regional leagues, the international events and the season-ending world championship.

A Valorant VCT season is not a single tournament. It is a year-long system, and to understand it you only need to answer two questions: which tier an event sits in, and which region a team comes from.

The three tiers of a VCT season

Every VCT season is built from three tiers. Teams climb from regional play into international events, and only the best of those reach Champions.

Tier	What it is	Who plays
Kickoff	The regional season opener that sets the first international seeds.	Teams inside a single league.
Masters	International events held during the season.	Top teams from the leagues.
Champions	The season-ending world championship.	Qualified teams only.

How the regions are split

Teams compete inside regional leagues, and each league feeds into the same international tiers. The four leagues are VCT Americas, VCT EMEA, VCT Pacific and VCT China.

For readers in our target markets, VCT Pacific is the league that fans follow first. It covers teams and players from across Asia-Pacific, a region that includes markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong SAR.

2027: the return of open qualifiers

The biggest structural change on the horizon is qualification. Champions 2026 was the final Champions of the franchise era, and from 2027 the VCT returns to an open qualifier format, where teams can earn their way into the top tiers rather than relying on a partnered-league slot.

That matters most for emerging rosters: an open path lets a strong lineup qualify on results instead of waiting to be invited. The Champions 2026 page covers how the final franchise-era season played out and why it closed a chapter.

How to watch, and what to follow in Asia-Pacific

This is the practical side of the VCT: where the matches actually are and what is worth watching if you are in the region.

How to watch the VCT in English or Chinese

VCT matches stream on Riot’s official VALORANT channels, and Riot runs localized broadcasts for its leagues — so the same matches can be followed in English or in a Chinese-language feed where one is offered. Regional co-streams are common across Asia-Pacific, and VODs land on the official channels after each matchday, which makes catching up easy if a series airs overnight in your market.

What Asia-Pacific fans should follow

The Pacific league is where the Asia-Pacific storylines live, from the Kickoff stage through to the international seeding that follows. On the international stage this season, the standout result was Nongshim RedForce winning Masters Santiago, and the next Masters is set for London.

Add the arrival of Hush on October 27, 2026 and there is a lot to track between agent drops and the qualifier change. The Hush reveal page covers why the newest agent matters to the game while the agent list keeps the roster current.

Frequently asked questions

What does VCT stand for?

VALORANT Champions Tour — Riot’s official Valorant esports circuit, running from regional leagues through international events to the season-ending world championship.

What is the difference between Masters and Champions?

Masters events are international tournaments held during the season. Champions is the season-ending world championship, and it is the only event whose winner is called a world champion.

How many tiers are there in a VCT season?

Three: Kickoff at the regional level, Masters internationally during the season, and Champions to close the year.

What changes in the VCT for 2027?

The VCT returns to an open qualifier format, so teams can earn their place in the top tiers instead of holding a partnered-league slot. Champions 2026 was the last event of the franchise era.

Which VCT league covers Singapore and the Philippines?

VCT Pacific covers teams and players from across Asia-Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong SAR.

How can I watch the VCT in Chinese or English?

Matches stream on Riot’s official VALORANT channels, which run localized language broadcasts, with regional co-streams and on-demand VODs after each matchday.

Sources & further reading