According to a recent statement from Riot Games, the esports ecosystem of the Valorant Champions Tour is set for a major overhaul in 2027. The update will introduce new tournaments and financial incentives.
The Tier 1 scene will become more open. Open qualifiers will be held before Kickoff events and VCT Cups. Riot plans to host 20 events across 16 cities each year.
Regional splits (Stage 1 and Stage 2) will be replaced by VCT Cups, now classified as Internationals to distinguish them from country-level qualifiers. Each international region (EMEA, China, Americas, and Pacific) will host two VCT Cups, totaling eight tournaments across four regions.
Top teams from Kickoff events and Cups will qualify for VCT Masters and Champions, creating a direct pathway from open competition to the biggest tournaments in Valorant esports.
Teams will receive financial rewards simply for qualifying for Kickoff, Cups, Masters, and Champions. The prize amounts will double when progressing from Kickoff/Cups to Masters, and double again for Champions participants. An annual prize pool of $6 million will be distributed across events.
As the current partnership agreements expire at the end of 2026, Riot confirmed that partner teams will remain, but their role will evolve. A new two-year partnership cycle will run through 2027–2028, with applications open to both current partners and new teams.
During this period, partner status will provide several benefits:
Since partnership no longer guarantees a slot in regional splits, direct seeding into VCT Cup qualifiers effectively acts as a “safety net” for partner teams.
As a reminder, results from the latest UNBROKEN UA matchday were recently announced.
