Starting September 24, sixteen of the world’s best teams will compete in Shanghai for the title of 2026 VALORANT World Champion. The tournament serves as the culminating event of the 2026 season, bringing together four representatives from each of the major regions: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China.
Format and Stakes
The competition begins with a double elimination group stage. Teams are divided into four groups of four. To advance to the final eight, a team must secure two victories. Two losses result in elimination.
The final eight teams will then move on to a double elimination playoff bracket. Every series in the playoffs raises the stakes, moving the winner closer to the trophy while sending the loser either to the lower bracket or home.
The Draw and Groups
The group stage draw took place following the VCT Americas final. Teams were seeded into four pools based on their regional performance, with a strict rule preventing any regional matchups within the same group. This requirement led to several notable shifts during the live draw, including a seed swap that placed FUT Esports in Group A.
Group A
- 100 Thieves (Americas #1)
- JD Gaming (China #2)
- FUT Esports (EMEA #3)
- T1 (Pacific #4)
Group B
- Global Esports (Pacific #1)
- LOUD (Americas #2)
- EDward Gaming (China #3)
- Team Vitality (EMEA #4)
Group C
- TYLOO (China #1)
- Team Liquid (EMEA #2)
- Paper Rex (Pacific #3)
- G2 Esports (Americas #4)
Group D
- Karmine Corp (EMEA #1)
- Nongshim RedForce (Pacific #2)
- NRG (Americas #3)
- Xi Lai Gaming (China #4)
Latest News and Matchups to Watch
Group D has quickly been labeled the toughest bracket of the tournament. It features EMEA champions Karmine Corp, Pacific standouts Nongshim RedForce, and former world champions NRG.Xi Lai Gaming faces a steep challenge to advance past these three heavyweights. The opening match between Nongshim RedForce and NRG is a focal point of the first round, as both teams enter the tournament looking to rebound from recent finals losses in their respective regions.
Group C reignites a familiar international rivalry, placing G2 Esports and Paper Rex in the same group yet again. Additionally, G2 will open their tournament against the host region’s first seed, TYLOO.TYLOO enters the event with massive local support and a rising star in their in-game leader, Pong “SiuFatBB” Ka Hei, adding extra anticipation to their debut match.
In Group A, 100 Thieves arrive as strong favorites after securing the VCT Americas title and the Esports World Cup. They will face T1 in their opening match. Meanwhile, Group B opens with an explosive series between Brazilian powerhouse LOUD and China’s EDward Gaming.
Schedule and Livestream Details
The group stage kicks off on September 24. Matches will be broadcast live across multiple platforms. Viewers can tune in to the official VALORANT Esports channels on Twitch and YouTube to catch the English broadcast. Regional co-streams and localized broadcasts will also be available for fans worldwide.
