VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026: The Complete Guide, Teams, and How to Watch

VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 is the most important event of the year, proving once and for all which teams have made esports history. Here’s why.

VALORANT Champions Shanghai is here

The VCT season has been building up to VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026. The tournament will bring together the 16 best teams from around the world. This is the first time China has hosted Champions, making it particularly significant for the region. With a massive prize pool up for grabs and the end of the VCT franchise era approaching, there’s a lot at stake.

What is the prize pool?

The VALORANT Champions Shanghai prize pool is $2,225,000. Riot distributes it among the teams based on their final standings:

• 1st place: $1,000,000

• 2nd place: $400,000

• 3rd place: $250,000

• 4th place: $130,000

Key Storylines

The Valorant Champions Shanghai 2026 tournament marks China’s first time hosting the event and brings the franchising era to a close before the VCT returns to open qualifiers in 2027. NRG defends its title as the reigning champion following last year’s success, fighting to retain the crown. Meanwhile, all eyes are on the EMEA region, as this marks the first regional championship without Fnatic, bringing an era to a close for the team that once brought the region the Masters title in 2023. Which team will take center stage now that the stage is set?

This year, several new faces are making their debut in the championship. Global Esports overcame all obstacles and qualified by winning the VCT Pacific after risky roster changes and controversies surrounding a coaching change. The team arrives in Shanghai on the back of a remarkable turnaround, and fans around the world are beginning to root for their underdog run. Meanwhile, Karmine Corp won VCT EMEA Stage 2, proving they will be fierce competitors.

All VALORANT Champion Teams in Shanghai 2026

Teams that have qualified for the 2026 Champions. Image: Riot Games

Here’s a quick rundown of all the teams that have qualified for VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026:

• 100 Thieves (North and South America)

• LOUD (North and South America)

• NRG (North and South America)

• G2 Esports (North and South America)

• Karmine Corp (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa)

• Team Liquid (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa)

• FUT Esports (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa)

• Team Viability (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa)

• Global Esports (Pacific Region)

• Nongshim RedForce (Pacific Region)

• Paper Rex (Pacific Region)

• T1 (Pacific)

• TYLOO (China)

• JD Gaming (China)

• EDward Gaming (China)

• XLG Esports (China)

Who are the strongest teams at VALORANT Champions Shanghai?

Anything can happen in the VCT. However, a few organizations are already standing out from the rest.

Paper Rex is on everyone’s mind right now. The team has made a name for itself by setting the pace and experimenting with strategies. It has already made a name for itself worldwide and also holds the Masters Toronto 2025 trophy. Jingg, something, and f0rsakeN shine on the battlefield. However, PRX is known for faltering: after breezing through tournaments and making them look like bot lobbies, they consistently lose in the grand finals and finish in second place. We saw this at Masters London, Masters Santiago, and Champs 2023. This season, PRX is determined to finally taste victory at the championship. Will 2026 be the year they finally do it?

NRG are also coming from the Americas as the reigning Western champions. Their victory in 2025 showcased strong and consistent play. In addition, the team’s roster is stacked: IGL Ethan was part of Evil Geniuses at Champs 2023, and Skuba is one of the strongest main controllers in the game right now. However, the start of the 2026 season was shaky for NRG, but their finish at VCT Americas Stage 2 has reignited fans’ hopes for a second consecutive Champions title.

G2 Esports is another American powerhouse. In 2025, they dominated the competition with a perfect VCT season featuring three wins, but fell short of the Champions trophy, finishing in 7th/8th place. Their international performances in 2026 have been inconsistent, but their regional results remain fairly stable, proving that their heyday may not be over yet.

From China, keep an eye on TYLOO and EDward Gaming. EDG is currently the only winner of the Chinese Championship. After a setback in 2025, they’ve regained their form and are delivering solid results. In particular, they took 3rd place at Masters London. TYLOO won China Stage 2, putting their name back on the map. International rivals fear SiuFatBB’s dominance in the initiator role.

Karmine Corp is undoubtedly the reigning champion of the EMEA region. Their performance this year has surprised their competitors. This team should definitely not be underestimated, despite having less experience compared to other teams.

What’s the format?

VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 begins with the group stage. Here, all 16 qualified teams are divided into four groups of four teams each. Each group is formed using a seeding system that includes one team from each region, so fans get a wide variety of matches to watch. Each group stage match is a best-of-three series, and the format follows a GSL-style double-elimination bracket. This means teams need two wins in a series to advance and two losses to be eliminated.

After the group stage concludes, the top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs. There, the eight teams compete in a full double-elimination bracket. Most playoff matches follow a “best-of-three” format, but the lower bracket final and the grand final switch to a “best-of-five” format. The event is held at two venues. The Jing’an Sports Center hosts the group stage and the early rounds of the playoffs, after which the action moves to the much larger Mercedes-Benz Arena for the finals.

VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026: Schedule

VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 Schedule. Image: Riot Games

• September 24: Start of the group stage.

• September 28: No matches.

• October 5–6: No matches.

• October 7: Playoffs begin.

• October 12–15: No matches.

• October 16: Start of the finals.

• October 18: Grand Final.

How to Watch VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026

Riot Games will stream VALORANT Champions Shanghai live on Twitch and YouTube. The event will also be streamed on the VALORANT Esports website.

Twitch Drops, Pick 'Ems, and Shotcall: How to Get VALORANT Rewards

Any viewer of Champions Shanghai can earn free VALORANT items through Twitch Drops, Pick 'Ems, and Shotcall. To claim Twitch rewards, simply link your Twitch and Riot Games accounts. Then, activate the campaign in the Drops tab and meet the viewing requirements on a participating channel. You can participate in Pick 'Ems directly in the game client, which has an Esports tab. Shotcall is a Twitch extension. If you participate, pop-up windows will appear during all matches, and you’ll be able to vote on them.

Rewards include:

Twitch Drops

• "Ready" title

• "Thumbs Up" spray

Pick 'Ems

• "Calculated" Name

• "Heavenly Stone" Buddy

• Title: “100%”

• "Master: Sky Stone" Buddy

Shotkol

• Title: “The Catch”

• Buddy “Crab Mentality”

• Player Card: “Shard or Death” Trophy

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