Riot Games has set dates and locations for the 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour, with more than 50 tournaments across 15 cities and Champions heading to Austin for the first time.
A global calendar with new qualification routes
The schedule, reported by Sheep Esports and TheSpike.gg on October 15, covers Open Qualifiers, Kickoff, Cups, Masters and Champions. Riot’s plan includes more than $7m in prize money, while regional tournaments will be hosted across multiple cities and countries rather than concentrated in one location.
The six partner teams across EMEA, Americas and Pacific will receive direct entry only to their respective regional Kickoff tournaments. They will then compete with teams advancing from Open Qualifiers for places at the remaining events. Chinese partner and visitor organisations, by contrast, will receive invitations to Kickoff and Cups, within a regional structure also covered by VCT’s China partnership arrangements.
VCT 2027 dates and host cities
The confirmed schedule pairs regional events with international stages:
- Kickoff: January 14 to February 7 in São Paulo, Berlin, Bangkok and Hangzhou.
- Masters: February 20 to March 3 in Seoul.
- Cup 1: April 29 to May 23 in Mexico City, Warsaw, Manila and Wuhan.
- Masters: June 5 to 20 in Valencia.
- Cup 2: August 5 to 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai.
- Champions and Game Changers Championship: September 16 to October 10 in Austin.
The arrangement gives teams, sponsors and broadcasters a defined calendar and venue footprint well ahead of the season. Austin will host the season-ending world championship, while the Game Changers Championship will conclude alongside it.
Open teams to receive event support
The Open Qualifiers will begin in November 2026, providing the first route into Kickoff. Teams advancing from Open Qualifiers to Kickoff or a Cup will receive $100,000 for each event; teams reaching Masters will receive $200,000, and an open team that qualifies for Champions will receive $400,000 in support. Every team competing at the Game Changers Championship will receive $100,000.
Anna Donlon, Head of VALORANT Studios, and Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports, described the Opens as a stage for emerging competitors to face established players and for local champions to advance. In comments reported by Sheep Esports, they said the Opens would put established players against lesser-known competitors, crown local heroes and allow the best teams to progress to Cups, Masters and Champions.
The support payments are designed to accompany teams through multiple stages, with the source reporting that an open team could earn more than $1m over a strong season. The first Open Qualifiers in November will begin the process of filling the 2027 Kickoff fields.
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