VALORANT Champions is the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) season’s final global tournament, where qualified teams compete to become that year’s world champion. For the 2026 edition in Shanghai, 16 teams begin in four groups; the top two from each group advance to an eight-team double-elimination playoff. Those rules describe Champions Shanghai 2026, not every edition.
What is VALORANT Champions?
Champions is the VCT’s year-ending world championship event. It is distinct from the season’s Masters tournaments: the 2026 Shanghai handbook identifies Champions as the final tournament of the year, and Riot says its winner is the “2026 VALORANT World Champion.” VALORANT Esports / Riot Games
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How does the 2026 Champions format work?
Champions Shanghai is scheduled for September 24 through October 18, 2026, with 16 teams representing the Americas, China (CN), EMEA, and Pacific. The tournament has a group stage followed by playoffs. Riot’s event guide
Group stage: four GSL groups
The 16 teams are divided into four GSL groups, with one team from each of the four territories in each group. Group matches are best of three. The top two teams in every group move on, producing an eight-team playoff field. 2026 season handbook
#1 Best Overall
- UNLOCK A UNIVERSE OF EXPERIENCES and compete with a global community of millions across multiple battlefields with Riot Games
- Unlocks in-game currency that can be used to purchase in-game items
- Redeemable in VALORANT, League of Legends, Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO
- PC, mobile, console… it all works. Just enter your code at shop.riotgames.com/redeem and choose the game you want to use this virtual currency for
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Playoffs: eight teams, double elimination
The playoff bracket is double elimination: a team is eliminated after its second bracket loss, so one loss does not end its run. Playoff matches are best of three, except the lower final and grand final, which are best of five. 2026 season handbook
How do teams qualify for Champions?
For the 2026 edition, each of the four territories—Americas, CN, EMEA, and Pacific—sends its top two teams from the Stage 2 playoffs and its top two Championship Point earners. These routes produce four teams per territory and 16 overall. 2026 season handbook
Rank #2
- UNLOCK A UNIVERSE OF EXPERIENCES and compete with a global community of millions across multiple battlefields with Riot Games
- Unlocks in-game currency that can be used to purchase in-game items
- Redeemable in VALORANT, League of Legends, Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO
- PC, mobile, console… it all works. Just enter your code at shop.riotgames.com/redeem and choose the game you want to use this virtual currency for
- This code is only redeemable on Riot Accounts in North America and Canada
Is the Champions format the same every year?
No. The format is edition-specific. The 2025 Champions Paris handbook described two groups of six, whereas the 2026 Shanghai handbook specifies four groups of four. Do not apply one year’s group structure or match rules to another edition without checking that edition’s rules. 2025 season handbook 2026 season handbook
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- UNLOCK A UNIVERSE OF EXPERIENCES and compete with a global community of millions across multiple battlefields with Riot Games
- Unlocks in-game currency that can be used to purchase in-game items
- Redeemable in League of Legends, Valorant, Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO
- PC, mobile, console… it all works. Just enter your code at shop.riotgames.com/redeem and choose the game you want to use this virtual currency for
- This code is only redeemable on Riot Accounts in North America and Canada
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- UNLOCK A UNIVERSE OF EXPERIENCES and compete with a global community of millions across multiple battlefields with Riot Games
- Unlocks in-game currency that can be used to purchase in-game items
- Redeemable in VALORANT, League of Legends, Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO
- PC, mobile, console… it all works. Just enter your code at shop.riotgames.com/redeem and choose the game you want to use this virtual currency for
- This code is only redeemable on Riot Accounts in North America and Canada
Rank #3
- UNLOCK A UNIVERSE OF EXPERIENCES and compete with a global community of millions across multiple battlefields with Riot Games
- Unlocks in-game currency that can be used to purchase in-game items
- Redeemable in VALORANT, League of Legends, Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO
- PC, mobile, console… it all works. Just enter your code at shop.riotgames.com/redeem and choose the game you want to use this virtual currency for
- This code is only redeemable on Riot Accounts in North America and Canada
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