Log in

VCT 2026: New Locations, Format Changes, Challengers to Champs and More

VCT 2026: New Locations, Format Changes, Challengers to Champs and More

Ganesh Jadhav

Ganesh Jadhav

2 Oct, 2025, 23:24

|

Last updated: 2 Dec, 2025, 20:33

With the current competitive season coming to an end on Sunday, October 5, VALORANT has announced the format changes and plans for VCT 2026. The new season will present Challengers teams with an opportunity to reach VALORANT Champions next year. Let’s take a look at all the changes in store for the next season.

New Locations

For starters, the three international tournaments will take us to three new cities:

Masters Santiago
Masters London
Champions Shanghai

VCT 2026: New Locations, Format Changes, Challengers to Champs and More

Further details regarding the locations can be found in another article of ours.

Format Changes

The VCT 2026 will feature format changes across all layers, from Kickoff to Masters & Champions.

A brand-new triple-elimination bracket debuts at Kickoff.

VCT Kickoff Triple Elimination Bracket (credits: Riot Games// VALORANT)

The top 3 teams from each league qualify for the 12-team Masters Santiago.
A new regular season format for each region will be shared later this year.
Stage 2 Playoffs will be a destination event for every league.
VCT CN goes on tour, visiting five cities across the region.

VCT 2026: All you need to know

A New Path to Pro

With VCT resetting for 2027, the Challengers leagues will not conclude in Ascension tournaments. Instead, they will provide a direct path to VALORANT Champions 2026.

Four Challengers teams will advance to Stage 2 Playoffs for a chance to qualify for Champions Shanghai.
For a Premier-to-Champions journey in 2026:
- Rank up to Invite Division or win a Qualifier event for Challengers League.
- Get promoted and win the Challengers League to secure a Stage 2 Playoffs spot.

VCT 2026: New Locations, Format Changes, Challengers to Champs and More

Further details will be disclosed closer to the release date.

With exciting format updates, a brand-new ‘Path to Pro,’ and fresh host cities, VCT 2026 is shaping up to be an unforgettable, high-stakes season.

But before that, tomorrow, October 3, we kick off the Finals Weekend of VALORANT Champions 2025. Out of the four teams—NRG, Fnatic, Paper Rex, and DRX—only one will be crowned Champion.

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.

Feature image credit: Riot Games

Read more:

VALORANT Masters and Champions locations revealed for 2026

VALORANT New Mode SKIRMISH: How it Works, Maps, Release Date, and More

Latest news

Esports World Cup 2026 Unveils Saudia Partnership and Custom-Branded Aircraft

The Esports Federation has named Saudia, the national air carrier of Saudi Arabia, as the official airline of the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC). Here's more.

Adarsh J. Kumar

Dplus KIA to be Sold Amid Financial Turbulence

Dplus KIA have announced the organization is in the middle of a sale process as the club has "reached a point where it needs even greater capability and support to grow to the next level." Growing operational costs in esports and recent reports surfacing regarding unpaid wages at Dplus all seem to indicate that the move will be in the best interest of everyone involved, including players and fans of the organization.

Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Team Vitality CEO Neo: "For Us to be a Global Leader Means Being a Contender at EWC"

Team Vitality remains one of the most influential and well-known esports organizations to date. The Paris-based org fields over 20 esports teams in various esports, though their immensely impressive results in Counter-Strike take center stage. Being one of the organizations present at Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, we managed to speak with Fabien "Neo" Devide, Co-Founder and CEO of the Hive, just after an interview with Mike McCabe, COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, at the opening press conference at EWC. Neo provided a ton of insight into the organization's participation at this year's edition of EWC in Paris. He expressed his desire for the org to perform to the highest standards, but also highlighted that rivalry is key to grow the ecosystem. Additionally, Neo gave strong opinions on the growth of mobile esports following last year's Vitality's takeover and merger with Indonesian side Bigetron, stressing the need for innovation and following ideas in the east, as much as the west.

Naim "EnKay" Rosinski

VALORANT Declares War on Boosting and Smurfing

Riot Games is done playing nice with rank manipulators. Starting with Patch 13.01, the studio is rolling out sharper detection tools built to catch boosting, win-trading, and stream sniping, and this time the punishments are landing on everyone involved, not just the person paying for the service.

Mike McCabe COO of EWC Foundation: "The Home Is Always Going to Be Riyadh"

The Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC) had its grand launch on July 8, commemorating the official start of the event with an opening press conference at the Hotel de Ville in the heart of Paris. With many speakers kicking off the event, like the CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, Ralf Reichert, Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayor of Paris, and others, taking center stage. Following an opening ceremony with multiple speakers, media were given the opportunity to chat with representatives of the Esports World Cup Foundation, game publishers, or even reps of prolific esports organizations such as Team Vitality. We managed to speak with Mike McCabe, the COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Naim "EnKay" Rosinski

VALORANT Patch 13.01: Iso and Yoru Buffs, Outlaw Nerf and More

Riot Games has rolled out VALORANT Patch 13.01, and while it's not the biggest update of the year, it brings meaningful quality-of-life buffs, a notable nerf, and a major crackdown on competitive integrity. Here's everything you need to know.

Kaustavmani Choudhury

Riot Games Brings Local Flair to VCT EMEA With Mushkaa Collab

Riot Games has confirmed a fresh collaboration that's about to give one of VALORANT's most iconic anthems a distinctly local twist. Ahead of the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals in Barcelona, the publisher has teamed up with rising Spanish artist Mushkaa to remix Villain (Take the Shot), one of the game's biggest musical hits.

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match