Starting in 2026, VALORANT’s Kickoff tournament will have a new format in every region. You can find the complete schedule below.
The 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) begins with the Kickoff stage, where 12 teams will earn a spot at the first international tournament of the year, held in Santiago, Chile. The way regional tournaments work is changing, so here’s a look at what to expect next year!
Tournament format
Starting in 2026, the Kickoff tournament will use a new format where teams have three chances to compete. Twelve teams will participate, but the four best teams from the 2025 Champions tournament in each league will automatically advance to the second round. The top three teams from each league after Kickoff will then qualify for the Masters Santiago tournament.
Between January 15th and February 15th, the strongest teams will advance, while others will be eliminated from contention for international competition. The team that wins the Kickoff stage will earn four Championship Points, followed by three for second place, two for third, and one for fourth.
Earning more points increases your chances of qualifying for the VALORANT Champions 2026 tournament, the year’s biggest event, which will take place in Shanghai, China.
Kickoff stage 2026 schedule
The 2026 tournament season begins in the Americas on January 15th. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) will start competing on January 20th, while the Pacific and China regions begin on January 22nd. You can tune in to all of these regional tournaments on Twitch and YouTube.
- VCT Americas: Twitch and YouTube
- VCT EMEA: Twitch and YouTube
- VCT Pacific: Twitch and YouTube
- VCT China: YouTube
In 2025, G2 Esports, Team Vitality, DRX, and EDward Gaming each won their opening stage. Now, the question is: can they do it again in 2026? We’ll have to wait and find out!
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2025-12-03 00:41