Riot Games has finalized the number of partnered organizations in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) ecosystem for the next two seasons. According to sources cited by Sheep Esports, the new two-year cycle will reduce the number of partners in each region from ten to eight.
Despite the reduction, partner status will continue to provide significant financial benefits. Organizations will still receive base payments and retain revenue from the sale of in-game team capsules. For comparison, Riot distributed nearly $86 million among its 40 partnered clubs in 2025 alone.
Under the updated Tournament First system, all teams will be required to advance through open qualifiers in order to reach regional Cups, which serve as the sole pathway to Masters and Champions events. However, partnered teams will receive a competitive advantage, as they will be exempt from the earliest qualifying rounds.
The most significant privilege for partnered organizations will be complete exemption from qualification for the Kickoff tournament. This championship will feature 12 teams in a triple-elimination format, with four of those spots earned through the open qualification system.
The new model also introduces substantial financial rewards for teams advancing through the open circuit:
- Qualifying for Kickoff or a Cup through open qualifiers will earn a team $100,000;
- Reaching Masters as an open-circuit team will guarantee $200,000;
- Advancing from the open ecosystem all the way to Champions will award an organization $400,000;
- Qualification for the Game Changers Championship will provide a $100,000 payout.
The total seasonal prize pool across the ecosystem will remain above $6 million.
As a reminder, a Brazilian court fined Riot, Valve, Ubisoft, and several other gaming giants a combined $58.4 million over loot box mechanics.