Valorant's biggest tournament of 2026 is taking shape. Champions Shanghai begins on September 24 and brings together 16 teams from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China to decide the world champion.
The event is not a simple single-elimination bracket. Teams first have to survive a compact group stage in which two victories can send them through and two defeats can end their run.
Teams listed as qualified
Riot's official tournament page currently lists the following teams:
- Americas: NRG and G2
- EMEA: Team Vitality, FUT Esports, Team Liquid and Karmine Corp
- Pacific: Paper Rex, Nongshim RedForce, Global Esports and T1
- China: JD Gaming, Xi Lai Gaming, TYLOO and EDward Gaming
The official page also displays two places as TBD at the time of writing. That is a useful reminder to treat circulating graphics as provisional until Riot updates the event page.
How the group stage works
The 16 teams are divided into four GSL-style groups. Every match is best-of-three and the top two teams in each group advance.
A GSL group separates teams after a short sequence of opening, winners', elimination and deciding matches. A team normally advances after two wins and goes home after two losses. This creates higher stakes than a long round-robin while still giving a team one chance to recover from an opening defeat.
We explain the entire sequence in our GSL group format guide.
What happens in the playoffs
Eight teams enter a double-elimination bracket. Most playoff matches are best-of-three, while the lower final and grand final expand to best-of-five.
Double elimination means a first playoff loss does not automatically end a team's campaign. The defeated team drops to the lower bracket, where every subsequent match becomes an elimination match. A second loss ends the run.
This format rewards depth. A team may need to prepare for repeat opponents, play on consecutive days and maintain a wider map pool than it would in a single-elimination event.
Venues and tickets
The group stage and early bracket matches are scheduled for Jing'an Sports Center. Finals Weekend then moves to Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong. Riot says the event uses real-name ticketing; international buyers must use a valid passport and bring the same physical document for entry verification.
The official Champions Shanghai page is the best place to confirm teams, brackets and later schedule changes. Ticket details are also published through Valorant Esports.
Why this field is interesting
The regional mix creates several questions that domestic results cannot answer. Can a strong Stage 2 team reproduce its form internationally? Will teams arriving through championship points be better rested or less battle-tested? And how will home-region teams handle the pressure of a Shanghai crowd?
Those answers will emerge only after the draw. Until then, qualification status and official group placement matter more than speculative power rankings. Follow our Esports section for updated tournament guides.
