The biggest event of the year is finally here. VALORANT Champions 2026 kicks off this Thursday in Shanghai, bringing the top 16 teams in the world together to battle for the ultimate trophy. But the pros aren’t the only ones who can walk away with a prize.
The in-game Pick’Ems are officially live! Whether you are an esports tactical mastermind or just guessing based on team logos, locking in your bracket is the best way to earn exclusive, limited-edition cosmetics.
Here is everything you need to know about how to play, the free rewards you can earn, and our staff predictions to help you build the perfect Group Stage bracket.
How to Play VALORANT Pick’Ems
Playing is completely free and integrated directly into the VALORANT client.
- Open VALORANT and navigate to the Esports tab at the top of the main menu.
- Click on the Pick’Ems section.
- For the Group Stage, you simply need to drag and drop the teams into the order you think they will finish (1st through 4th). The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.
- Lock it in! Make sure your predictions are saved before the opening match this Thursday.
The Free Rewards
Riot Games is heavily rewarding players just for participating, with even more exclusive loot reserved for those who actually guess correctly. Here is the breakdown of what you can earn:
- “Calculated” Player Title: Earned simply by logging in and filling out your bracket.
- “100%” Player Title: A highly exclusive title awarded only to players who manage a completely perfect bracket throughout the entire tournament.
- Gold Stone of Heaven Gun Buddy: A premium cosmetic reward for placing high on the global Pick’Ems leaderboard.
- Master Gun Buddy: Awarded to top-tier predictors who consistently guess the correct match outcomes.
Our Group Stage Predictions
Stuck on who to pick? The groups this year are incredibly tough, with massive powerhouse teams and dangerous underdogs. Here are our official bracket predictions for the Group Stage to help you secure those points:
Group A: The Favorites and the Wildcard
- 1st: 100 Thieves (100T)
- 2nd: T1
- Eliminated: FUT & JDG
100 Thieves enter the tournament looking like absolute favorites after a stellar season. Securing them in first place is the safest bet you can make. The second slot is highly contested, but we are keeping the faith in T1 as a potential top-eight team, despite the looming threat of JDG.
Group B: Clash of Styles
- 1st: LOUD
- 2nd: Team Vitality (VIT)
- Eliminated: Global Esports (GE) & EDG
LOUD consistently shows up on the international stage and should have the edge in this group. Vitality is our pick for second; while Global Esports might show some early flair, they tend to struggle once teams have time to counter-strat them in a rematch.
Group C: The Group of Death
- 1st: Paper Rex (PRX)
- 2nd: TYLOO (TYL)
- Eliminated: Team Liquid (TL) & G2
Paper Rex is a terrifying force and the undeniable favorite to take the top seed. The second seed is where it gets crazy. G2 has been struggling recently, and Team Liquid faces an incredibly tough matchup. We are calling the massive upset: the Chinese representatives, TYLOO, will escape the group of death.
Group D: The Americas Lock
- 1st: NRG
- 2nd: Nongshim (NS)
- Eliminated: Karmine Corp (KC) & XLG
NRG is looking incredibly strong and should cleanly secure the first seed. Karmine Corp poses a threat, but their heavy reliance on specific strategies (like Phantom smoke-spamming) might be easily countered by disciplined teams. Nongshim is a solid, disciplined pick to edge them out for the second playoff spot.
Lock your brackets in before Thursday, and stay tuned for our complete guide on how to claim all the Twitch Drops during the event!
