The biggest VALORANT showdown of the year has officially begun—and the road to the world championship starts in Shanghai.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 officially kicked off on September 24 in Shanghai, China, bringing together 16 of the world’s best VALORANT teams for the final battle of the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour season.
For the next few weeks, every map, clutch, and crucial round could determine who stays in the fight for the biggest trophy in competitive VALORANT.
The tournament runs until October 18, when one team will be crowned the 2026 VALORANT World Champion.
The world’s top teams have converged in Shanghai, with four regions represented on the international stage: Americas, China, EMEA, and Pacific.
The Americas lineup features NRG, G2 Esports, LOUD, and 100 Thieves.
Representing EMEA are Team Vitality, FUT Esports, Team Liquid, and Karmine Corp.
Pacific sends Paper Rex, Nongshim RedForce, Global Esports, and T1, while China’s home teams are JD Gaming, Xi Lai Gaming, TYLOO, and EDward Gaming.
Each team arrives with the same objective: survive Shanghai and lift the Champions trophy.
The opening Group Stage runs from September 24 to October 4, with the 16 teams divided into four groups.
The format is unforgiving.
Each group features a representative from all four regions, with matches played as best-of-three series. Teams that lose twice are eliminated, while only the top two teams from each group move on to the Playoffs.
In other words, eight teams will survive the opening stage—and eight will see their championship dreams end early.
The remaining eight teams advance to the Playoffs, which begin on October 7.
The Playoffs use a double-elimination format, giving teams a second chance after a loss—but another defeat sends them out of the tournament.
The stakes climb even higher as the competition approaches the final weekend, with the Lower Final and Grand Final played as best-of-five series.
And on October 18, the final two teams will meet with the world championship on the line.
This year’s Champions arrives after a 2026 VCT season that has seen the competitive landscape continue to evolve.
Riot Games describes Shanghai as the point where familiar names, emerging contenders, and a new generation of challengers come together for the year’s biggest VALORANT event.
For fans, that means nearly a month of international competition, regional rivalries, breakout performances, and the kind of high-pressure matches that define a championship run.
The event will also feature Watch and Earn rewards, Pick’Ems, and the Shotcall Twitch extension, giving viewers additional ways to follow and interact with the tournament.
Sixteen teams have arrived.
Eight will survive the Group Stage.
Only two will make it to the final series.
And by the end of October 18, one team will leave Shanghai as the 2026 VALORANT World Champion.
Champions Shanghai is officially underway. The final battle of VCT 2026 starts now.
