Riot Games reveals VCT 2027 Masters, Champions, and Cups locations

“Everything is a tournament,” Riot Games said when announcing its plans to reshape the VALORANT esports ecosystem into a more open circuit in 2027. Now, they have confirmed the locations for the regional cups and international events, bringing tournaments closer to more fans than ever. Find out which countries will host next year's events!

VCT 2027: Structure and Tournaments

In 2027, Riot Games will introduce a new tournament-first structure for VALORANT esports, built around Opens, Kickoff, Cups, Masters, and Champions.

More than 50 tournaments will take place throughout the year, creating more entry points for teams worldwide and giving them more opportunities to compete in meaningful matches.

Partner teams, which have yet to be revealed, will remain an important part of the ecosystem. However, after Kickoff, they will follow the same qualification process as other teams, with progression determined by their competitive performance.

Meanwhile, open teams will have more opportunities to enter the VCT, challenge established organizations, and fight their way toward the biggest events of the year.

Riot Games will also provide greater financial support for qualifying open teams, including guaranteed qualification payments. The new esports bundle will feature a Ghost instead of a Classic, while the Game Changers Championship will culminate at Champions, bringing its finale to the largest VCT audience of the year.

There is a lot to take in, but Riot Games promises a new era for the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2027.

VCT 2027 Locations

In 2027, the VCT will visit 15 cities worldwide, bringing top-tier VALORANT action closer to fans across the globe.

Kickoff will run from January 14 to February 7, taking place in four cities across the VCT’s four main regions.

• Americas: São Paulo, Brazil
• EMEA: Berlin, Germany
• Pacific: Bangkok, Thailand
• China: Hangzhou, China

The first international event of the year will be Masters Seoul, with South Korea’s capital hosting the tournament from February 20 to March 3. The first Cup of the season will follow from April 29 to May 23, with matches taking place across four cities.

• Americas: Mexico City, Mexico
• EMEA: Warsaw, Poland
• Pacific: Manila, Philippines
• China: Wuhan, China

Next, the VCT heads to Spain for Masters Valencia, scheduled to take place from June 5 to June 20. The final Cup of the year will follow from August 5 to August 29, with four more cities hosting regional competition.

• Americas: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• EMEA: Istanbul, Turkey
• Pacific: Tokyo, Japan
• China: Shanghai, China

To bring the competitive season to a grand close, VALORANT Champions and the Game Changers Championship 2027 will take place in Austin, United States, from September 16 to October 10.

VALORANT Esports enters a new era in 2027

Although the new era officially begins in 2027, the competitive season will get underway in November 2026 with the Kickoff Qualifiers. These will give aspiring teams their first chance to secure a place in next year's competition.

Teams will compete through open qualifiers for spots at Kickoff, while additional Opens throughout the season will provide further opportunities to qualify for the Cups.

More details on regional qualifiers and qualification paths will be announced soon.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image by Riot Games