Valorant Champions 2026Explainer
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Valorant Champions 2026 grand final time: 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18, or 11 p.m. PT on Saturday
The Valorant Champions 2026 grand final starts at 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18, which is 11 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 17, and 2 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. LOUD waits in the best-of-five final for the winner of Saturday's lower bracket final between 100 Thieves and Team Vitality, which starts at 3 a.m. ET on Oct. 17. Riot's Opening Ceremony and the reveal of a new agent come right before the grand final on the same broadcast.
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Riot plays the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final in the Shanghai afternoon, which puts it in the middle of the night across the US. Here’s the start time where you live.
Valorant Champions grand final time in the US
The grand final starts at 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18. In the rest of the US, that’s 1 a.m. CT on Sunday, midnight MT as Saturday turns into Sunday, 11 p.m. PT and in Arizona on Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 p.m. in Alaska and 8 p.m. in Hawaii on Saturday.
In Mexico City, it’s midnight, and in São Paulo, 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Grand final time in Europe, Asia and Australia
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the match starts at 7 a.m. in London, 8 a.m. in Paris and Berlin, 9 a.m. in Istanbul, 11:30 a.m. in India, 2 p.m. in Shanghai, Singapore and Manila, 3 p.m. in Seoul and Tokyo and 5 p.m. in Sydney.
London, Paris and Berlin are still on summer time that weekend, and Sydney is already on daylight saving time, so these times account for both.
Who plays, and what comes first
LOUD beat Team Vitality 2-1 in the upper bracket final on Oct. 16 and waits in the grand final. Its opponent comes out of the lower bracket final on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3 a.m. ET (midnight PT, 8 a.m. in London), where 100 Thieves play Team Vitality, best of five. A showmatch with pros, creators and guests is also on the stage on Oct. 17.
On Sunday, Riot’s Opening Ceremony comes immediately before the teams walk out, and a new agent is revealed on the same broadcast. The grand final is best of five, so it ends after three, four or five maps.
The full broadcast runs on Valorant’s official esports channels on Twitch and YouTube, and Riot gives out Drops for watching it. Every result and the full bracket are on our Valorant Champions 2026 schedule and results page.
This page is updated as soon as the lower bracket final ends and the grand final matchup is set.
FAQ
What time is the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final?
Riot’s schedule lists it at 2 p.m. Shanghai time on Sunday, Oct. 18. That’s 2 a.m. ET and 1 a.m. CT on Sunday, and 11 p.m. PT on Saturday night.
What time is the Valorant Champions grand final in the UK?
7 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, in London. It’s 8 a.m. in Paris and Berlin.
What time is the Valorant Champions lower bracket final?
Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3 a.m. ET, which is midnight PT and 8 a.m. in London. 100 Thieves play Team Vitality, best of five, and the winner faces LOUD.
Who is in the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final?
LOUD, who beat Team Vitality 2-1 in the upper bracket final on Oct. 16, against the winner of 100 Thieves vs. Team Vitality.
How long is the Valorant Champions grand final?
It’s best of five, so it ends as soon as one team wins three maps. That means three, four or five maps.
When is the new Valorant agent revealed?
On the Champions broadcast right before the grand final on Oct. 18, together with the Opening Ceremony. Riot hasn’t named the agent yet.
Pop quiz
1 questions from this story.
What time does the Valorant Champions 2026 grand final start on the US East Coast?
Riot’s schedule lists 2 p.m. in Shanghai, which is 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Your call
Are you staying up for the Valorant Champions grand final?
