Most picked maps of VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026: Which battlegrounds dominated the tournament?

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai has come to an end, and it's time to take a closer look at the tournament's map statistics. Which maps were picked the most? Which ones were banned most often? And where was the gap between attack and defense win rates the biggest? Let's dive into the numbers and see what they reveal.

Most Picked Maps at Champions 2026

With a Chinese map topping the list of most-picked maps at an event held in China, VALORANT Champions 2026 delivered an interesting coincidence. Summit was by far the most-picked map of the tournament, followed by Lotus, Sunset, and Ascent.

There are a few reasons behind Summit's popularity, with its relatively balanced map design being one of them. Released after VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters London 2026, Summit is VALORANT's newest map and has a fairly small gap between attack and defense win rates. This gives neither side a clear advantage, making it an appealing choice for teams.

Another factor is that, as a relatively new map, Summit gives teams the chance to test their strategies on the international stage and see how these fit into the current meta. Its high pick rate also suggests that teams have grown comfortable enough with the map to choose it regularly.

Summit also suits several agents that are currently strong in the meta, including Chamber, Neon, and Fade, giving teams even more reasons to pick the map.

Overall, Summit offers plenty of flexibility, fits well with the current meta, and gives teams a solid environment to put their strategies to the test.

Most Banned Maps at Champions 2026

While Summit stood out as one of the tournament's most balanced maps, Split was at the other end of the spectrum, with a clear advantage for the attacking side over the defense. This could explain why Split was the most banned map at VALORANT Champions 2026, as its current position in the map pool makes it one of the less comfortable choices for teams.

What makes Split such a difficult map to play? Compared to other maps in VALORANT, Split is relatively small, with narrow entrances and tight chokepoints.

Strong utility usage and well-coordinated executes are essential to gain control, while retakes can be particularly challenging. This could help explain why attackers have a higher win rate on the map.

Without pressure in Mid, playing Split can become a real challenge, which is why even teams with strong records on the map may prefer to ban it rather than risk playing it.

The Americas region, however, seems particularly comfortable on Split. Although teams from the region never picked it themselves during the tournament, they won all five matches in which their opponents chose it.

After eliminating Global Esports from the tournament, LOUD coach Gonzalo "Romanilly" Manzano highlighted the Americas region's strength on Split during the post-match interview. He revealed that LOUD practised the map every day and had even made it their permanent ban throughout Stage 2.

Map Side Statistics at Champions 2026

As mentioned earlier, Split was the most unbalanced map in terms of attack and defense win rates, with attackers winning 60.7% of rounds compared to less than 40% for defenders.

Aside from Ascent and Lotus, every map in the pool favoured attackers, although none showed as large a gap as Split. Abyss had the second-biggest difference between the two sides, with a 65% attack win rate compared to 45% on defense. However, Abyss was played far less frequently during the tournament, making the comparison less conclusive.

What does this tell us? Split and Abyss were the most banned maps at VALORANT Champions 2026, and both stood out for their significant gap between attack and defense win rates.

With attackers having a clear advantage on these maps, teams starting on defense risk falling behind early and facing an uphill battle to recover in the second half. In a high-stakes tournament, that can be a dangerous risk to take.

At the same time, starting on defense puts teams at an immediate disadvantage, which can hurt their momentum early in the match and make it harder to maintain confidence and composure as the game progresses.

That helps explain why Sunset, Lotus, and Ascent were among the most-picked maps at the tournament. Their more balanced attack and defense win rates made them safer picks for teams, although the current meta and agent compositions still played a major role in map selection.

However, a map's balance doesn't necessarily mean every team feels comfortable playing it, as individual playstyles and strategies can also make a big difference.

VALORANT Champions 2026

VALORANT Champions 2026 showed how much map balance, the current meta, and team comfort can influence map picks and bans. Summit stood out as the most-picked map, while Split and Abyss were often avoided due to their significant differences between attack and defense win rates.

However, statistics only tell part of the story, as a map that looks balanced on paper may not suit every team's playstyle. At the highest level of competition, preparation and confidence in a map can make all the difference.

In the end, LOUD proved to be the strongest team, lifting the trophy and becoming the first organization to win VALORANT Champions twice, following its first title in 2022.

LOUD combined individual talent with a strong understanding of the current map pool and meta, showing impressive adaptability throughout the tournament. Behind that success was also extensive preparation, proving that winning at the highest level takes much more than mechanical skill alone.

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Featured Image by Riot Games