Everything you need to know about VCT Americas Kickoff 2026

Competitive VALORANT in the VCT Americas league is nearly back as 12 teams set their sights on VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Kickoff. With several new rosters, a unique triple elimination format, and a spot at VALORANT Masters Santiago on the line, the start of the VCT 2026 season is one that is sure to kickstart an exciting competitive year in the VCT Americas league.

Here is everything you need to know about the new VCT Americas Kickoff format, how VCT triple elimination works, and the 12 teams competing for a spot at Masters Santiago.

Who are the VCT Americas 2026 teams?

12 teams will be competing in the VCT Americas 2026 season, comprised of 10 partnered teams, alongside G2 Esports and this year’s winner of VCT Ascension Americas 2025, Envy.

• NRG
• MIBR
• G2 Esports
• Sentinels
• Cloud9
• 100 Thieves
• Leviatán
• Evil Geniuses
• KRÜ Esports
• LOUD
• FURIA
• Envy

Teams that qualified for VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions will receive a round one bye, while the remaining teams will be seeded into the VCT triple-elimination bracket by their VCT 2025 season performance.

How does VCT Triple Elimination Bracket work?

The VCT Triple Elimination Bracket will essentially grant all VCT teams three lives in their quest to qualify for VALORANT Masters Santiago. Every win will move them forward in the bracket, while losses drop them down a set of bracket tiers ranging from Upper, Middle, and Lower.

• Upper Bracket: Win to stay at the top. Final team remaining is the first seed at Masters Santiago.
• Middle Bracket: Teams that lose once drop down here. Final team remaining is the second seed at Masters Santiago.
• Lower Bracket: A do-or-die bracket where the remaining 10 teams compete for the final spot at Masters Santiago.

Every team will begin in the Upper Bracket where the last team standing in this portion of the bracket will become the first VCT Americas team to qualify for VALORANT Masters Santiago. The remaining teams will drop down into the Middle Bracket where teams will be placed higher on the King of the Hill/knockout hybrid bracket to determine the second seed at Masters Santiago.

That format will continue into the Lower Bracket where the remaining 10 teams will be competing for the final spot at VALORANT Masters Santiago.

How do teams qualify for VALORANT Masters Santiago?

VCT Americas Kickoff will feature three separate finals - one each for the Upper, Middle, and Lower Bracket which will feature a best-of-five series. Each finals winner will qualify for Masters Santiago while the losers of the Upper and Middle Brackets will be directly seeded into the next bracket's qualifying match.

VCT Americas KICKOFF 2026 Schedule

Here is a look at the entire schedule for VCT Americas Kickoff 2026 will play out across the five weeks of play.

• Week 1 (Jan 15-18): Upper Bracket Rounds 1 and 2. Opening matches decide who advances to face the seeded teams in Round 2.
• Week 2 (Jan 23-25): Middle Bracket begins for eight teams as they fight to stay away from the Lower Bracket.
• Week 3 (Jan 30-Feb 1): The final four teams in the Upper Bracket battle for a spot in the Upper Bracket Grand Final. Meanwhile, it’s the start of the Lower Bracket as the first two teams will see elimination while the Middle Bracket continues.
• Week 4 (Feb 6-7): It’s an all-out brawl between the remaining Lower Bracket teams as they fight for their spot in the Lower Bracket Grand Final. Meanwhile, the Middle Bracket will play one best-of-three to determine the final team of the Middle Bracket Grand Final.
• Week 5 (Feb 13-15): It’s Grand Finals week as the five remaining teams fight for three spots at VALORANT Masters Santiago.

All VCT Americas Kickoff 2026 days will begin at 2pm PT and will feature a mixture of one to three best-of-three series apart from week five which will feature three best-of-fives.

VCT Americas KICKOFF Championship Points

VCT Americas 2026 Kickoff isn’t just about qualification for VALORANT Masters Santiago. 12 VCT Americas teams will also be fighting for Championship Points which could help teams secure their spot at VALORANT Champions 2026 Shanghai at the end of the VCT 2026 season.

For VCT Americas Kickoff 2026, only the top four teams will receive Championship Points towards VALORANT Champions Shanghai qualification.

The VCT Championship Points will be distributed as the following:

• Upper Bracket Final Winner: 4 points
• Middle Bracket Final Winner: 3 points
• Lower Bracket Final Winner: 2 points
• Lower Bracket Loser: 1 point

At the end of each region’s Stage 2 Grand Final, the Championship Points will automatically qualify the top two teams with the highest amount while the final two slots will be comprised of the two finalists of VCT Americas Stage 2. For now, teams will set their sights on qualifying for VALORANT Masters Santiago in their quest to become the first VCT international winner of the VCT 2026 season.

That’s everything you need to know about VCT Americas Kickoff 2026. Teams are currently enjoying the last moments of the VALORANT offseason in preparation for five weeks of nonstop action. With several new rosters set to make their debut on the VCT Americas stage, it will be interesting to see which teams are able to improve upon their VCT 2025 season, and who regresses in 2026. For now, VALORANT fans will have to wait until the start of the new year before that can all be determined.

Be sure to follow THESPIKE.GG for more VALORANT offseason content like this as we head closer to the start of the VCT 2026 season.

Image via Riot Games