VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 is almost set, with 15 of the 16 participating teams now confirmed for the final international event of the season.
Scheduled to run from September 24 to October 18, Champions Shanghai will bring the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour to a close. Following Evil Geniuses in 2023, EDward Gaming in 2024 and NRG in 2025, another team will get the chance to call itself world champion.
This will be the first VALORANT Champions held in China, two years after Shanghai hosted Masters in 2024, where Gen.G defeated Team Heretics to lift the trophy.
The event will begin at the Jing’an Sports Center before moving to the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong for Finals Weekend, according to Riot Games.
Champions Shanghai will also close the current era of the VCT. Starting in 2027, Riot will move the circuit towards a more open tournament structure, giving partnered and non-partnered teams more opportunities to reach Masters and Champions through open qualifiers and regional events.
Teams qualified for VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026
VCT China
TYLOO - Stage 2
JD Gaming - Stage 2
EDward Gaming - Championship Points
Xi Lai Gaming-Championship Points
China was the first region to complete its Champions lineup. TYLOO and JD Gaming earned direct qualification by reaching the Stage 2 grand final, with TYLOO claiming the regional title following a 3-1 victory.
EDward Gaming and Xi Lai Gaming secured the other two places through Championship Points. EDG will return to the country where the organization won the 2024 world championship, while XLG will make its second consecutive Champions appearance.
VCT Pacific
Nongshim RedForce - Stage 2
Global Esports - Stage 2
Paper Rex - Championship Points
T1 - Championship Points
Nongshim RedForce became Pacific’s first Stage 2 qualifier after reaching the upper-bracket final and defeating Global Esports. GE then recovered in the lower bracket, beating T1 3-1 to reach the grand final and secure their first appearance at VALORANT Champions.
Paper Rex had already booked their place through Championship Points following another consistent international season. T1 claimed Pacific’s second points-based berth after making a deep run through the Stage 2 lower bracket.
The four teams are confirmed, but their final seeding will be decided when Nongshim RedForce and Global Esports meet in the VCT Pacific Stage 2 grand final.
VCT EMEA
Karmine Corp - Stage 2
Team Liquid - Stage 2
FUT Esports - Championship Points
Team Vitality - Championship Points
Karmine Corp and Team Liquid qualified by reaching the VCT EMEA Stage 2 grand final. KC went on to win the regional trophy with a 3-1 victory over Liquid.
FUT Esports and Team Vitality completed the EMEA lineup through Championship Points. FUT’s results across Stage 1 and Masters London gave the Turkish organization enough points to reach Champions for a third consecutive year.
Vitality also earned their place through points after BBL Esports were eliminated from the Stage 2 playoffs. One notable absentee is Fnatic, who will miss VALORANT Champions for the first time.
VCT Americas
100 Thieves - Stage 2
NRG - Championship Points or Stage 2
G2 Esports - Championship Points
One team to be confirmed
100 Thieves secured their first Champions appearance since 2022 after defeating NRG 2-0 in the upper-bracket final. The victory guaranteed them a place in the Stage 2 grand final and, with it, direct qualification for Shanghai.
Reigning world champions NRG and G2 Esports have also secured their tickets through their Championship Points totals. Both teams currently sit on 21 points, placing them beyond the reach of the remaining eligible teams under the current qualification scenarios.
The final Americas berth will be decided by the lower-bracket final between NRG and LOUD. If LOUD win, they will qualify directly by reaching the Stage 2 grand final. If NRG win, they will take the second direct qualification place and Leviatan will receive the remaining points berth.
That means the final Americas lineup will be either:
100 Thieves, LOUD, NRG and G2 Esports; or
100 Thieves, NRG, G2 Esports and Leviatan.
The lower final is scheduled for September 5, followed by the Stage 2 grand final on September 6.
How teams qualify for Champions Shanghai
Every VCT International League sends four teams to Champions through two qualification routes.
The first two places go to the teams that reach their region’s Stage 2 grand final. They qualify directly regardless of who eventually wins the regional title.
The remaining places are awarded through Championship Points. Once the two Stage 2 finalists are removed from consideration, the two eligible teams with the highest points totals qualify for Champions.
Points are earned through results across the VCT season, rewarding teams that perform consistently even if they fall short of reaching the Stage 2 grand final.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai format
The 16 qualified teams will be divided into four groups of four, with each group featuring one team from Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China.
The group stage will use a GSL-style double-elimination format, with every match played as a best-of-three. Teams must win two series to advance, while two defeats will end their tournament. The top two teams from each group will progress, reducing the field from 16 to eight.
The playoffs will then move into an eight-team double-elimination bracket. Most matches will remain best-of-three, while the lower-bracket final and grand final will be played as best-of-five series.
With four regional champions, several former world winners and new names such as Global Esports entering the field, Shanghai is set to close the current VCT era with a packed international lineup.