VALORANT Masters London 2026: Schedule, Participants, Prize Pool

The second international esports tournament of the year in VALORANT is returning to Europe. This time, twelve of the world’s best teams will gather in London, United Kingdom, to determine the champion of VALORANT Masters London 2026. All matches will be hosted at the iconic venue Copper Box Arena.

This prestigious championship will be the first official international LAN event by Riot Games in the United Kingdom, drawing global attention to the British capital. Alongside a substantial prize pool, teams will also compete for VCT points, which are crucial for qualification to the VALORANT Champions 2026 world finals in Shanghai.

Tournament Duration and Schedule

VALORANT Masters London 2026 will run for just over two weeks, from June 6 to June 21, 2026.

The event is divided into two main stages:

• Swiss Stage: June 6–10
• Playoffs Stage: June 12–21

Prize Pool and VCT Points

The total prize pool for the London Masters is $1 million. In addition to prize money, teams will also compete for VCT points required for progression to the global championship.

Since none of the Winter Kickoff winners—including Santiago Masters champions Nongshim RedForce—qualified for this event, the competition for VCT points is expected to be especially intense.

Prize Pool Distribution

• 1st place: $350,000 + 8 points
• 2nd place: $200,000 + 6 points
• 3rd place: $125,000 + 5 points
• 4th place: $75,000 + 4 points
• 5–6th place: $50,000 + 3 points
• 7–8th place: $35,000
• 9–10th place: $25,000
• 11–12th place: $15,000

VALORANT Masters London 2026 Format

The tournament retains the classic 12-team structure, where regional champions receive a significant advantage by skipping the opening stage.

Swiss Stage

This stage features 8 teams — those who placed 2nd and 3rd in their regional leagues (Americas, EMEA, Pacific, China).

• All matches are played in a Best-of-3 format
• Teams need two wins to advance
• Two losses result in elimination
• The top 4 teams advance to the Playoffs

Playoffs

The four Swiss Stage winners are joined by the four regional champions, who received direct qualification.

• Double-Elimination bracket
• All matches are Best-of-3
• Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final are Best-of-5

Tournament Participants

Twelve teams qualified through the franchised regional leagues. Four regional champions start directly in the Playoffs.

Teams starting in Playoffs:

• Americas: G2 Esports
• EMEA: Team Heretics
• Pacific: Paper Rex
• China: EDward Gaming

Swiss Stage teams:

• Americas: Leviatán, NRG Esports
• EMEA: Team Vitality, FUT Esports
• Pacific: FULL SENSE, Global Esports
• China: XLG Esports, Dragon Ranger Gaming

First Swiss Stage Matchups

Organizers have already announced the opening-day matchups:

June 6

• 17:00 — XLG Esports vs NRG Esports
• 20:00 — Team Vitality vs Dragon Ranger Gaming

June 7

• 17:00 — FULL SENSE vs FUT Esports
• 20:00 — Leviatán vs Global Esports

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