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All 16 Teams Attending VALORANT Esports World Cup 2026
The VALORANT regional qualifiers for the 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup (EWC) have now concluded, and we have our 16 teams set to attend Paris.
Team Heretics returns to the EWC stage as the defending champions from last year. But for the majority of teams, they have had to battle through a lengthy set of qualifier games, all in hopes of qualifying for the tournament in July.
EWC Heads to Paris: All Teams Attending
The length of May saw not just the conclusion of the various Stage 1s across the 4 regions, but also the regional qualifiers to determine the 15 teams attending EWC alongside Team Heretics.
The EWC VALORANT slots function off a combination of direct invites and closed qualifiers. The winner from the previous EWC last year—Team Heretics—is, of course, invited.
On their heels are the respective champions from each of the Stage 1s around the world. Due to Team Heretics’ victory last year, Team Vitality has benefited, earning a direct invite despite finishing 2nd in the region.
With 11 slots remaining, 3 team slots have been made available, each to the Americas, EMEA, and Pacific qualifiers. China, meanwhile, has been graced with only 2 qualifier slots.
| Team | Status | Team | Status |
| Team Heretics | Invited | Team Vitality | Invited |
| G2 Esports | Invited | Paper Rex | Invited |
| EDward Gaming | Invited | Gentle Mates | Qualifier |
| Karmine Corp | Qualifier | BBL Esports | Qualifier |
| MIBR | Qualifier | 100 Thieves | Qualifier |
| NRG | Qualifier | Rex Regum Qeon | Qualifier |
| Global Esports | Qualifier | NS RedForce | Qualifier |
| XLG Esports | Qualifier | AG.AL | Qualifier |
EWC VALORANT 2026: Format
The tournament will be held from July 2nd to the 12th across 2 stages: Group Stage and Playoffs. A prize pool of $2,000,000 makes this an enticing purse to challenge for, if the prospect of competing for an international title was not sufficient motivation.
Swiss Stage:
- 16 teams sorted into 4 groups
- Double-elimination GSL format
- All matches Bo3
- Top 2 teams advance
Playoffs:
- Single-elimination bracket
- All matches Bo3
- Grand Finals Bo5
A 3rd place match will be held before the Grand Finals.
EWC VALORANT 2026: How to Watch
The tournament will be livestreamed on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, CHZZK, X, and TikTok, all in English. Further information on ticketing to come. Stay tuned.
Follow Strafe Esports for the latest VALORANT news, and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured Image Credit: EWC
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