Shanghai will become the center of global VALORANT from September 24 to October 18, 2026, hosting the final championship of the year — VALORANT Champions 2026 (VCT Champions) under the motto "生死无暇 (FRAG OR DIE)". The tournament is organized by Riot Games and TJ Sports and will serve as the culminating event of the V26 Tour. The competition holds the highest S-Tier status and will be held offline on patch 13.05.
The total prize pool for the tournament is $2,250,000 USD. The champion will earn $1,000,000, the runner-up will receive $400,000, and the third and fourth-place teams will take home $250,000 and $130,000, respectively. Most of the matches will take place at the Jing'an Sports Center, while the decisive stage for the top four teams will be hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Sixteen teams will participate in the tournament, competing across two stages:
- Group Stage (September 24 – October 4): Four GSL (Double-Elimination) format groups with four teams each. All matches will be played in a Bo3 format, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the next round.
- Playoffs (October 7 – 18): An 8-team Double-Elimination bracket. Most matches will be Bo3 series, while the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final will be played in a Bo5 format.
A total of 80 players are competing in the tournament. The highest national representation comes from the United States (13 players / 16%), South Korea (12 players / 15%), and China (10 players / 13%). The event will also feature esports athletes from Turkey (6 players), Taiwan (4 players), Hong Kong (3 players), and the Philippines (3 players).
The championship will open with the first Group Stage matches tomorrow, September 24. At 12:00 EEST, Team Liquid and Paper Rex will face off. Later, at 15:00 EEST, the matchup between TYLOO and G2 Esports will begin.
The English-language broadcast of the tournament will be available on the official VALORANT Champions YouTube channel.
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