Riot Games Announces Evolved VCT Vision for 2027

Riot Games LLC (Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo), the Japanese subsidiary of Riot Games, Inc. (USA), announced a new vision for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), which will undergo significant evolution towards 2027. A tournament-based competitive ecosystem including open qualifiers for world championships, a new partnership model, and expanded live events worldwide will be newly introduced. This announcement marks the first phase of VALORANT Esports updates for 2027. The 2027 VCT will transition from a traditional league-centric structure to a tournament-centric model, offering a more intense match experience throughout the season. Additionally, mechanisms will be introduced to expand offline events worldwide and provide all teams with new opportunities to participate in 'Masters' and 'Champions'. This system will focus on the following: * Making every match important * Opening the path to world championships * Holding live events in more locations VCT has grown by balancing competitive structure, regional design, team selection, accessibility, and a sustainable economic model. This refresh builds upon that success to create an even bolder and more evolved competitive scene. This update aims to create a more exciting, unpredictable, and accessible competitive environment for teams and players worldwide. ▪️Partnerships in 2027 Starting in 2027, a new two-year partnership program will commence, with applications opening today. Teams with a proven track record but not yet participating can also apply through their respective regional Riot Esports contacts. Selection will be based on the following criteria: * Dedication to growing the VALORANT community * Community influence across fandom and content * Business sustainability and responsible operational capability * High business operational capability and established infrastructure * Success in competitive environments and performance growth Partner teams will receive the following support: * Base compensation - Partner teams are guaranteed to receive a fixed amount of base compensation annually * Performance bonus - Additional rewards will be given to teams that demonstrate high performance in achieving partnership goals * Team Capsules - These are sets of in-game skins through which fans can support their favorite teams * Direct seeding - In qualifiers, teams can skip the first round and directly participate in the later stages, thereby gaining more stability and exposure opportunities ▪️Open Qualifiers for World Championships Starting in 2027, qualification for 'Masters' and 'Champions' will transition to a new structure beginning with open qualifiers. This will provide all teams with multiple opportunities to qualify for world championships throughout the year. Qualification routes will be designed regionally and may include tournaments/programs such as: * Community tournaments * Partner events * University events * Premier, etc. Further details will be announced later this year. Additionally, non-partner teams will also receive rewards and Championship Points based on their performance. This will ensure fair revenue distribution based on competitive results, promoting the sustainable growth of the entire competitive scene. Thanks to the support of many fans who cheer for their favorite teams and players, VALORANT's digital content has achieved great success. In the past year alone, a total of 6 million from digital merchandise sales was distributed to VCT teams, significantly contributing to the establishment of a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for teams to continue their activities. From 2027 onwards, a system will be put in place to enable all top-level competing teams to realize these revenue opportunities. Each team will receive a fixed participation fee for each tournament they qualify for. This amount will be set according to the scale and importance of the tournament, and is designed to approximately double incrementally as teams progress from 'Cups' to 'Masters' and then to 'Champions'. In addition to these, each tournament will have an annual prize pool of million, and travel expenses will be fully covered for teams participating in world championships. Especially for 'Cups', a system is being established to quickly provide funds to teams to facilitate visa acquisition and travel arrangements. Furthermore, a portion of these revenues will be allocated to the 'Game Changers' program. Details of the allocation will be announced later this year. While details are still undecided, our goal is to provide all teams in all regions with a qualification route to all world championships. Each regional community will have its own path to guide teams to international tournaments, and teams that win through these paths will have the opportunity to compete against partner teams in the later stages of the tournament. These changes are expected to further increase the importance of each match, promote the success of regionally-based top teams, and lead to the sustainable development of the competitive scene and the growth of new players. By combining tournaments within a single region, across multiple regions, and on a global scale, we will balance high competitiveness with the significance of representing each region. ▪️New VCT Cups Central to the new format are the 'VCT Cups'. These are offline tournaments for teams that have won through open qualifiers, held twice a year in each region, for a total of eight events. Key features of the Cups include: * Replacing regular season league play * Concluding with a weekend final event * Winning teams directly qualify for Masters and Champions 'Kickoff' and 'Cups' will be held in studios and various venues, as audience-participating events. Annually, approximately 20 tournaments are planned across more than 16 cities. 'Kickoff' will continue to be held as the season-opening event, open to all teams. ▪️New Competitive Structure and Future Outlook From 2027, the system will transition to one where all teams compete within a single tier. This will lower the barrier to entry for new teams, creating an environment where more teams can directly aim for the top of the world. The new VCT offers the following values: * Every match matters from the first game * Accelerated path to world championships * More regional events * Further expanded competitive opportunities Details such as regional schedules, slot allocations, Game Changers, and event locations will be announced closer to 'Champions'. ▪️Comment from Leo Faria (Global Head of VALORANT Esports, Riot Games)