Riot Games has finalized the list of 32 partner organizations for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) in 2027. With the league transitioning to an open format, the number of partners has been reduced from 40 to 32 — with eight teams per region (Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China).
List of Partner Organizations by Region
- Americas: 100 Thieves, G2 Esports, KRÜ Esports, LEVIATÁN, LOUD, MIBR, NRG, Sentinels.
- EMEA: BBL Esports, Fnatic, FUT Esports, Karmine Corp, Gentle Mates, Team Heretics, Team Liquid, Team Vitality.
- Pacific: Crazy Raccoon, FULL SENSE, GAM Esports, Gen.G, Paper Rex, Rex Regum Qeon, T1, ZETA DIVISION.
- China: All Gamers, Bilibili Gaming, EDward Gaming, JD Gaming, Trace Esports, TYLOO, Weibo Gaming, Xi Lai Gaming.
The reduction in slot count left several prominent clubs out of the partner program:
- Evil Geniuses decided to shut down completely after missing out on the partner list, ending a 27-year history in esports.
- Shopify Rebellion also missed out, prompting co-owner Ludwig to suggest a complete exit from the title.
- Global Esports declined its participation as management announced a pivot toward AI project development.
- Masters Santiago winners Nongshim RedForce missed out on a partnership slot as well, though they confirmed they will remain in VALORANT and compete through open qualifiers.
Riot Games chose participants from over 100 applicants based on five core criteria: commitment to community growth, fanbase engagement, business sustainability, infrastructure, and competitive achievement. Special emphasis was placed on growing the game's audience and community resonance.
Organizations sign two-year renewable agreements. They will receive annual financial support from Riot Games, revenue sharing from in-game team capsules and bundles, and a direct slot into the VCT Kickoff 2027 tournament.
VCT Kickoff will be the only stage with guaranteed participation for partner teams. From that point onward, partners will compete alongside open qualifier teams. Qualification for Cups, Masters, and Champions will rely strictly on tournament results, and underperforming partners will have to fight their way back through open playoffs.
As a reminder: Barça Esports shuts down its League of Legends division after five years of competition and shifts focus to VALORANT.