Highlights
- VALORANT Champions Tour 2027 will have open qualifiers that allow any team to compete for the Masters and Champions events.
- New VCT Cups will act as LAN-based regional tournaments.
- Riot is expanding the global circuit with 20+ events across 16+ cities, backed by $6M+ in annual prize pools and stronger financial support.
Riot Games has announced a major overhaul of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), set to take effect in 2027. The update will replace the current league structure with a new tournament system built around open qualification and global events.
The new format completely revamps how aspiring teams progress and how often they get opportunities to compete on international stages. Riot’s goal is to create a system where progression is tied directly to performance in high-stakes tournaments instead of a long-term league.
VALORANT Champions Tour’s New Format Explained
Starting in 2027, the VCT will move to a unified competitive system with open qualifiers. Any team will be able to enter and qualify for regional tournaments, which then feed into high-stakes Masters and Champions events.
This allows new teams to compete for top-level esports events without requiring partnership status. Qualification will happen across multiple events during the year, giving teams multiple opportunities to make it to the flagship events.
Riot is also introducing VCT Cups, which will replace the traditional leagues. These will be LAN tournaments that help pick the top teams from each region, who will then compete in the international events.
The new system includes over $6 Million USD in annual prize pools, along with fully funded travel for global events. Riot Games has also revealed that more than $86M was shared with teams in 2025 through digital sales of merchandise, skins, and other promotions. It means that the earnings potential for players and organizations is much higher than the prize pool from the events.
Non-partner teams will receive additional support under the new structure. This includes financial incentives tied to qualification, access to prize pools at multiple stages, and faster payout cycles to help sustain operations across the season. Riot Games’ new model allows non-partner teams to earn consistently across events and compete directly with established organizations.
Riot Games is Overhauling the Partnership System
Under the new system, partner teams will receive base payments, performance bonuses, and revenue opportunities through in-game content. They will also benefit from direct seeding into later stages of qualifiers, which gives them guaranteed opportunities to compete at the highest level.
Partners will be selected based on their community engagement, operational capabilities, and competitive performance at tournaments. Riot plans to scale the VCT’s global footprint alongside the new format with partner and non-parner teams. The circuit will host more than 20 tournaments annually across over 16 cities worldwide.
Each region will feature multiple live events, including VCT Cups and international competitions. Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports at Riot Games, said, “VCT 2027 is about reimagining how teams compete and how fans experience VALORANT esports. By shifting to a tournament-driven system with open access to our biggest events, we’re creating a more dynamic, high-stakes ecosystem where every match matters and every team has a shot at the global stage.”
The 2027 VCT overhaul positions VALORANT’s esports closer to an open circuit model, with more frequent events and fewer barriers for aspiring teams. Details about tournament formats and regional events will be available closer to the next Champions event.
