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For the next VALORANT esports match, use the official VALORANT Esports schedule. It is the authoritative place to check the current date, start time, teams, event, score, and whether a series is a best-of-three or best-of-five. For a completed series, open its official VALORANT Esports VOD page to watch the embedded YouTube replay and, when available, select individual game tabs.
The 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is a 48-team Tier 1 circuit divided among Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. Match times, results, standings, and player lineups can change during the season, so treat league pages and the live schedule as current records rather than relying on an old article or roster list.
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What is VCT in 2026?
VCT is VALORANT’s Tier 1 professional competition. Riot’s 2026 League Handbook describes it as a circuit made up of four territories: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. Across those territories, 48 teams compete through regional leagues and international events before the season ends at Champions Shanghai.
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“VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is the game’s Tier 1 competition, and is made up of four territories: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China.” — VALORANT Esports, 2026 League Handbook
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The four territories are not simply broadcast regions. They are the competitive structure used for league play, qualification and international representation. A team’s territory determines which regional league it enters and how it can qualify for global events. The official handbook is the best reference for the organizations assigned to each territory.
Because roster rules and player movement restrictions apply during the season, a team name on a schedule does not guarantee that the same five players will appear in every later match. Check the relevant league page close to match day when the exact lineup matters.
2026 VCT calendar
The season is divided into six named stages. Dates below describe the published 2026 schedule; individual start times, results and match pairings can move as the season progresses.
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|---|---|---|
| Kickoff | January 15–February 15, 2026 | The opening regional competition of the season. |
| Masters Santiago | February 28–March 16, 2026 | An international Masters event following Kickoff. |
| Stage 1 | April 1–May 24, 2026 | Regional league play in four territories. |
| Masters London | June 6–June 21, 2026 | The second listed international Masters event. |
| Stage 2 | June 30–September 6, 2026 | A regional stage with redrawn groups and Challenger-team Play-Ins. |
| Champions Shanghai | September 24–October 18, 2026 | The 16-team world championship event. |
Use the live official schedule for an exact start time. A date range tells you when an event is running, not necessarily when a particular team plays. The schedule also identifies the event name, participating teams, scores for completed matches and the Bo3 or Bo5 designation.
How to find the next VCT match
- Open the official VALORANT Esports schedule. Start there rather than with a third-party calendar, because the official page is updated when match slots or results change.
- Identify the event. Read the event label beside each fixture so you know whether it is Kickoff, a Masters tournament, Stage 1, Stage 2 or Champions Shanghai.
- Read the complete fixture row. Confirm both team names, the listed date, the start time and the match-length label. A Bo3 and a Bo5 should not be expected to occupy the same amount of broadcast time.
- Check the page again on match day. Times and pairings are volatile. A saved calendar entry or search-result snippet can be stale even when the official event page has been corrected.
- Follow the event’s current broadcast links. Language and channel availability vary by territory, so the event page’s links are more reliable than an old stream URL.
If you are looking for “the next match” for a specific organization, verify the territory first. A team may have a regional fixture while another territory is on a different day, and an international event uses a separate event schedule from the four regional leagues.
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Which teams and rosters are in VCT?
Four territories, 48 Tier 1 teams
The 2026 Tier 1 circuit contains 48 teams distributed across Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China. The official League Handbook lists participating organizations by territory. Use that document or the current league page when you need the authoritative organization list; do not treat an unofficial roster tracker as a substitute when Riot has published an event page.
Why a roster page can become outdated
Riot’s season guide sets roster-lock and player-movement restrictions. Those rules mean that player eligibility and transfer timing can affect who is available for a match, while a team’s public lineup can change between stages. The practical rule is simple: check the league’s current team page immediately before publishing a preview, making a fantasy pick or assuming that a familiar five-player lineup will start.
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- Use the team and league page associated with the current event.
- Check whether the player is listed under the organization or only appeared in an earlier stage.
- Look for the event’s current roster-lock information when a recent transfer or substitute is involved.
- Distinguish an organization’s registered roster from the five players shown for a particular match.
This approach prevents a common error: copying a lineup from Kickoff into Stage 1, Stage 2 or Champions without checking the intervening roster rules and transactions.
How VCT match formats work
A best-of-three (Bo3) series is decided by the first team to win two maps, so it can finish in two maps or continue to a third. A best-of-five (Bo5) can require as many as five maps and is reserved for selected high-stakes playoff matches in the published formats. The schedule’s Bo3 or Bo5 label is the quickest way to know which series structure applies.
Stage 1: regional groups and round-robin play
Stage 1 places the 12 teams in each international league into two groups of six. Each group uses a single round-robin: every team plays each of the other five teams once. That gives every team five matches over the five-week stage. Stage 1 matches are best-of-three.
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| Stage 1 element | Published structure |
|---|---|
| Teams in each league | 12 |
| Groups | Two groups of six |
| Scheduling model | Single round-robin within each group |
| Matches per team | Five |
| Series length | Best-of-three |
| Stage duration | Five weeks |
Because a team plays five group matches rather than a long home-and-away schedule, one result can have a large effect on qualification position. Read the current standings with the group structure in mind instead of comparing a team’s record with a team that has played a different number of matches.
Stage 2: redrawn groups and Challenger Play-Ins
Stage 2 redraws the groups and adds Challenger teams through Play-Ins. The Play-Ins use a double-elimination format: a team must lose twice to be eliminated, and survivors advance to join the International League teams in the playoffs.
The redrawn groups mean that Stage 2 is not simply a continuation of Stage 1’s group assignment. When comparing results, identify the stage and group draw first. A Stage 1 record and a Stage 2 record describe different schedules and qualification paths.
Champions Shanghai: 16 teams and a double-elimination playoff
Champions Shanghai is the season’s 16-team world championship. Its group phase has four groups, and group matches are best-of-three. The playoff bracket is double elimination. The lower final and grand final are best-of-five.
“Sixteen teams from Americas, CN, EMEA, and Pacific will battle to become the 2026 VALORANT World Champion.” — VALORANT Esports Staff, Champions Shanghai explainer, September 11, 2026
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| Champions Shanghai element | Format |
|---|---|
| Field | 16 teams |
| Group phase | Four groups |
| Group-series length | Best-of-three |
| Playoff bracket | Double elimination |
| Lower final | Best-of-five |
| Grand final | Best-of-five |
“Double elimination” changes the viewing stakes: a team that loses in the upper portion of the bracket can continue through the lower bracket, while a second loss ends its tournament. The schedule will identify the specific bracket round and series length for each match.
Where to watch VCT live
The official event page is the safest starting point for live viewing. Open the fixture from the schedule, confirm the current start time, then follow the broadcast links shown for that event. Broadcast language and channel availability vary by territory, so a stream available for one league may not be offered for another.
Before the broadcast starts
- Confirm the event name and territory.
- Check the time displayed by the schedule and note the page’s stated time zone.
- Verify that the fixture has not changed from an earlier calendar entry.
- Use the event’s current channel links rather than a saved link from a previous match.
During a live match
The schedule’s Bo3 or Bo5 label tells you how long the series can run, but it does not guarantee a fixed broadcast duration. A Bo3 may end after two maps or go to a third; a Bo5 can extend through five. If you are joining late, use the official match page’s status and score rather than assuming the opening map is still in progress.
How to find a replay or VOD
- Return to the official schedule after the match is complete. Find the finished fixture by event and team name.
- Open the match’s official VALORANT Esports VOD page. Completed matches can be opened from the official VOD area.
- Start the embedded YouTube playback. The VOD page embeds the replay rather than requiring you to search unrelated uploads.
- Choose an individual game tab when available. Some VOD pages expose separate tabs for each map, which is useful when you want to study one game instead of the entire series.
- Check the event page if the video is missing. Publication timing and channel availability can vary, so a recently completed match may appear after the live listing is updated.
Replay access is separate from live availability. A live channel can be unavailable in your territory while the completed match later appears on an official VOD page, or a VOD page can show a full series without every broadcast-language option.
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How to compare VCT events
“Which event is bigger?” has more than one answer. Compare events using the axes below rather than using the number of matches alone.
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| Comparison axis | Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Is it regional league play or a global event? | Regional stages determine local qualification; Masters and Champions bring territories together. |
| Qualification route | Did teams arrive through Kickoff, a regional stage, Play-Ins or another published path? | The route explains why the field and bracket look different. |
| Group or bracket structure | Is the event a round-robin, groups followed by playoffs, or double elimination? | It changes how many losses a team can absorb and how standings are formed. |
| Match length | Are the listed series Bo3 or Bo5? | It affects possible map count and broadcast time. |
| Team count | How many teams are in the event? | Stage 1 uses 12 teams per league; Champions Shanghai uses 16. |
| Availability | Is the match live, completed, or available as a VOD? | The correct page and viewing method depend on its status. |
Common problems and reliable fixes
The listed time no longer matches my calendar
Use the live schedule as the current record. Match slots can update during the season, and a calendar reminder created earlier will not automatically reflect every change. Reopen the fixture and confirm the displayed time and event before watching.
I cannot find a team on the expected roster
Check the relevant league page and the current event roster. Roster locks and player-movement restrictions can change eligibility between stages. Do not promote an old five-player lineup to a current one without a dated league-page confirmation.
The match page shows a score but no video
Confirm that the fixture is completed and open the official VOD section rather than the live listing. If the series has just ended, allow for the replay page to appear. When available, use the game tabs to locate a specific map inside the series.
I see different broadcast channels in different places
That is expected when language and channel availability vary by territory. Follow the event page’s current links and select the channel intended for your location or language.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
- Territories: Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China.
- 2026 circuit size: 48 Tier 1 teams.
- Stage 1: two groups of six in each 12-team league, single round-robin, five Bo3 matches per team.
- Stage 2: redrawn groups plus Challenger Play-Ins using double elimination before the playoffs.
- Champions Shanghai: 16 teams, four groups, Bo3 group matches and a double-elimination playoff with a Bo5 lower final and grand final.
- Current times and scores: use the official VALORANT Esports schedule.
- Replays: use official VALORANT Esports VOD pages with embedded YouTube playback and, where exposed, individual game tabs.
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