Valorant Champions Tour 2027Explainer
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VCT 2027 schedule and locations: Champions in Austin, Masters in Seoul and València, and all 15 cities
The 2027 Valorant Champions Tour visits 15 cities, according to Riot's season calendar. It opens with four Kickoff events in São Paulo, Berlin, Bangkok and Hangzhou from Jan. 14 to Feb. 7, 2027, followed by Masters in Seoul from Feb. 20 to March 3. The first round of Cups runs April 29 to May 23 in Mexico City, Warsaw, Manila and Wuhan, Masters moves to València, Spain, on June 5 to 20, and the second Cups run Aug. 5 to 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai. Valorant Champions 2027 and the Game Changers Championship close the season in Austin, Texas, from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10. Cups replace league play, open teams can qualify for every event, and the first qualifiers start in November 2026.
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Valorant’s 2027 season goes on tour. Here’s where every VCT 2027 event takes place, when it runs and how teams get there.
Where is VCT 2027?
In 15 cities, according to the 2027 calendar Riot released on Oct. 15, 2026. The season opens with Kickoff from Jan. 14 to Feb. 7, 2027, in four cities, one for each territory: São Paulo for the Americas, Berlin for EMEA, Bangkok for the Pacific and Hangzhou for China. The first Masters follows in Seoul from Feb. 20 to March 3.
The first round of Cups runs from April 29 to May 23 in Mexico City, Warsaw, Manila and Wuhan. The second Masters goes to València, Spain, from June 5 to 20, and the second round of Cups runs from Aug. 5 to 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai. Riot hasn’t given separate dates for each city inside the Kickoff and Cup windows.
Valorant Champions 2027 in Austin
The season ends in Austin, Texas, where Valorant Champions 2027 runs from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10, 2027. In 2027, the Game Changers Championship is part of Champions, so its finale plays in front of the biggest VCT audience of the year. Riot’s chart lists 16 teams at Champions. Riot hasn’t named the venue or put tickets on sale yet.
How the 2027 season works
Riot calls it a tournament-first season, with more than 50 tournaments across regional Opens, Kickoff, Cups, Masters and Champions. Kickoff in the Americas, EMEA and the Pacific has 12 teams each: eight partner teams and four from open qualifiers. China’s Kickoff also has 12 teams, made up of eight partners, two visitor teams and two qualifiers. The top three teams from each territory at Kickoff go to the first Masters.
After that, results decide everything. The eight Cups, two per territory, replace regular season league play, end with a finals weekend and send teams on to Masters and Champions. Partner teams aren’t guaranteed a spot in every Cup, and teams that finish outside the top places at a Cup or Masters drop into Open Playoffs to fight their way back. The Pacific adds a Last Chance Qualifier for teams from South Asia and Oceania. A team that keeps at least three of its five players keeps its points and progress through the season.
Money for open teams
Teams outside the partner program get fixed payments for qualifying: $100,000 for Kickoff or a Cup, $200,000 for Masters and $400,000 for Champions, plus any prize money. A non-partner team that reaches the Game Changers Championship gets another $100,000. Across the year, Riot plans prize pools of more than $6 million and pays travel for global events. Partner teams keep a guaranteed base payment, performance bonuses and in-game team capsules, and Riot says its esports digital goods shared more than $86 million with VCT teams in a single year.
Qualifiers start in November 2026
The road to Kickoff starts this fall. In North America, Qualifier #1 runs Nov. 5 to 8 and Qualifier #2 Nov. 12 to 15, both single elimination best-of-three. Registration for the first opens on Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. PT and closes Oct. 30, and for the second it runs Oct. 26 to Nov. 8. Players must be at least 17 and have peaked at Ascendant or higher in the past six months. The Qualifiers Playoffs follow with a Swiss stage on Nov. 20 to 22 and a double elimination bracket on Dec. 1 to 6, and an Americas Last Chance Qualifier on Dec. 17 and 18 fills the final open spot in São Paulo. The North American winner also goes to Red Bull Home Ground in Los Angeles on Dec. 10 to 13.
Open qualifiers for Brazil, Latin America, Europe, Turkey and the Middle East and North Africa are set, and the Pacific’s qualifiers start in early November. Riot hasn’t published the full list of partner teams for the new two-year cycle that begins in 2027.
Before all that, the 2026 season wraps up with Champions in Shanghai, which our Valorant Champions 2026 schedule and results page covers, along with our Valorant Champions 2026 grand final time page.
This page is updated as soon as Riot announces the venues, ticket sales and the 2027 partner teams.
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FAQ
Where is VCT 2027?
In 15 cities. Kickoff runs in São Paulo, Berlin, Bangkok and Hangzhou, Masters in Seoul and València, the Cups in Mexico City, Warsaw, Manila, Wuhan, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai, and Champions in Austin, Texas.
Where is Valorant Champions 2027?
In Austin, Texas, from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10, 2027. The Game Changers Championship is part of the same event, which Riot moved to Champions for 2027.
Where are the VCT 2027 Masters events?
The first Masters is in Seoul from Feb. 20 to March 3, 2027, and the second is in València, Spain, from June 5 to 20.
When does VCT 2027 start?
Kickoff runs from Jan. 14 to Feb. 7, 2027. The open qualifiers for Kickoff start in November 2026, with North America’s first qualifier on Nov. 5 to 8.
What are VCT Cups?
New LAN tournaments that replace regular season league play. There are two per territory each year, eight in total, and each one ends with a finals weekend and sends teams to Masters and Champions.
How many teams play at each VCT 2027 event?
Kickoff in the Americas, EMEA and the Pacific has 12 teams each: eight partner teams and four from open qualifiers. Riot’s season chart lists 12 teams for each Masters and Cup and 16 for Champions.
Who are the VCT 2027 partner teams?
Riot hasn’t published the full list. A new two-year partnership cycle starts with the 2027 season, and partner teams get direct entry into Kickoff but have to earn their way into each Cup after that.
How much do open teams earn in VCT 2027?
Fixed payments for qualifying: $100,000 for Kickoff or a Cup, $200,000 for Masters and $400,000 for Champions, plus prize money. A non-partner team that qualifies for the Game Changers Championship gets another $100,000.
How do I enter the VCT 2027 North America qualifiers?
Registration for Qualifier #1 runs from Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. PT to Oct. 30, and for Qualifier #2 from Oct. 26 to Nov. 8. Players must be at least 17 and have peaked at Ascendant or higher in the past six months.
Pop quiz
1 questions from this story.
Which city hosts Valorant Champions 2027?
Riot’s 2027 calendar puts Champions and the Game Changers Championship in Austin, Texas, from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10.
Your call
Which VCT 2027 event would you travel to?
