Riot Games Shares VCT 2027 Open Qualifiers First Look

Riot Games has given us a first look at the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2027 season's Open Qualifiers. Earlier this year, Riot announced a structural change to VALORANT's esports circuit, introducing a new pathway for non‑partnered teams to compete in international LAN events.

The 2027 season will begin with Kickoff events across all four regions: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. The first Masters tournament will follow shortly after. The next phase introduces a regional VCT Cup, leading into the second Masters event. As the season builds toward its finale, another VCT Cup will precede VALORANT Champions, which will close out the year.

The two regional VCT Cups per season will replace the existing regular season. Similar to the current format, each Cup will culminate in a finals weekend. The circuit will also expand to more cities next year, bringing VCT action to new and unexplored territories.

Both the VCT Kickoff and the two regional Cups will be preceded by online qualifiers. For Kickoff, four of the 12 teams in each region (except China) will emerge from these Open Qualifiers. They will receive fixed qualification payments and be eligible for the tournament's prize pool.

Here’s more on the Open Qualifiers for VCT Kickoff 2027. 

VCT Kickoff Open Qualifiers Begin in November 2026

Open Qualifiers for the 2027 Kickoff tournaments will commence as early as November of 2026. This gives teams just a couple of months to finalize their rosters and prepare for a shot at competing alongside the big names.

According to the timeline provided by Riot Games, free agency for the 2027 season will begin on November 2, with Open Qualifiers starting later that month. The Kickoff tournaments will follow in January, leading into the first Masters event in February.

Beyond international glory, teams that emerge from the Open Qualifiers will also receive significant financial incentives, which scale with the stakes. If a team manages to qualify for all major events of the season, they can earn up to $1.1 million.

Incentives and rewards for the VCT 2027 are split as follows:

• Kickoff/Cups: $100,000

• Masters: $200,000

• Champions: $400,000

Qualified teams will also be eligible for a share of the tournament prize pools, which collectively amount to $6 million (excluding Game Changers).

While they will not receive the partnership stipend, team capsule revenue share, or automatic qualification that partnered teams enjoy, the financial support from Riot Games, alongside additional benefits, should make a considerable difference in providing non‑partnered teams with valuable competitive opportunity and exposure.

VCT 2027 Regional Open Qualifiers 

Starting in 2027, Open Qualifiers for VCT events will be held across 16 regions across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China.

Until now, non‑partnered teams had to compete for an entire year in Tier-2 circuits for a chance at promotion through Ascension. With these changes, however, new teams and players across every region will have a fresh opportunity before every tournament to make it to the big stage.

Note that the qualifier format, eligibility, and registration dates will vary per region. More information will be shared as we approach the registration period.

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Featured Image Credit: Riot Games

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