Tickets for the opening stages of VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 go on general sale on September 2 at 11:00 a.m. China Standard Time, giving international fans their first chance to secure seats for the year's biggest VALORANT tournament.
Riot Games has confirmed that the Group Stage and early Bracket Stage will be played at Jing'an Sports Center. The tournament later moves to Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong for Finals Weekend.
The event runs from September 24 to October 18. General-sale tickets announced so far cover selected group and bracket-stage dates, with weekday seats starting at ¥198 and weekend seats starting at ¥288.
Buying a ticket requires more preparation than simply choosing a price tier. Champions Shanghai will use real-name ticketing, tickets cannot be transferred or resold, and international attendees must register with a valid passport and bring that same physical passport to the venue.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai ticket sale time
- General sale: September 2, 2026
- Sale time: 11:00 a.m. China Standard Time (UTC+8)
- International ticket platform: MAISEAT
- Mainland China platform: Damai
- Maximum purchase: Four tickets per account for each event
- Identity rule: Every ticket must be linked to a different valid ID
For common international time zones, the general sale begins at:
- 8:30 a.m. in India
- 4:00 a.m. in the United Kingdom
- 5:00 a.m. in Central Europe
- 11:00 p.m. on September 1 in New York
- 8:00 p.m. on September 1 in Los Angeles
- 1:00 p.m. in Sydney
Fans should check daylight-saving rules for their location before relying on a converted time. China Standard Time does not change seasonally.
Mastercard priority access began on August 30 and ends on September 1 at 11:00 a.m. China Standard Time. That window is available to eligible Mastercard holders outside mainland China through the international purchase route. Payment must be completed with a Mastercard after eligibility is verified using the first eight digits of the card number.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai ticket prices
Riot has published four standard seating tiers plus a limited Tier 1 bundle.
Weekday prices
Weekday sessions are September 24, September 29-30 and October 8-10.
- Tier 1 Bundle: ¥1,128
- Tier 1: ¥488
- Tier 2: ¥366
- Tier 3: ¥288
- Tier 4: ¥198
Weekend prices
Weekend-priced sessions are September 25-27, October 1-4, October 7 and October 11.
- Tier 1 Bundle: ¥1,208
- Tier 1: ¥568
- Tier 2: ¥468
- Tier 3: ¥388
- Tier 4: ¥288
The Tier 1 bundle is limited to residents of China and includes a VALORANT Championship Trophy Maglev Bluetooth speaker delivered by express shipment. International visitors should therefore compare the four standard tiers rather than plan around the bundle.
Riot says some Tier 1 ticket holders may be selected for player walkouts or post-match interviews. That is a possible benefit, not a guaranteed inclusion with every Tier 1 purchase.
The passport rule international fans cannot ignore
Champions Shanghai uses a real-name entry system. The name and passport details entered during checkout must belong to the person attending.
International buyers must bring the original physical passport used to register the ticket. A photo, photocopy or a different ID is not presented by Riot as a substitute. Identity verification and facial recognition will be used at the venue, and a mismatch can result in refused entry.
Tickets are non-transferable and cannot be resold. This means a fan cannot safely buy a ticket in one person's name and later give it to a friend. It also makes unofficial resale listings particularly risky because the buyer's identity will not match the registered ticket holder.
The same passport or ID should not be used to buy seats for the same session across multiple official platforms. Riot warns that duplicate purchases may lead to the complete order being cancelled.
If one account buys several tickets, each ticket must still be assigned to a unique valid identity. Fans booking for a group should therefore collect every attendee's correct passport information before the sale opens.
Can fans select their seats?
No. Seat selection will not be available during checkout.
The organiser will try to place tickets from the same order next to each other where possible, but adjacent seats are not guaranteed. Final seat information should appear in the buyer's ticket wallet approximately two or three days before the event.
This makes a single group order preferable to several separate transactions when friends want to sit together. However, every person in that order still needs a unique ID attached to their ticket.
Tournament dates and venues
VALORANT Champions 2026 is scheduled from September 24 to October 18 in Shanghai.
The Group Stage and the first part of the knockout bracket will take place at Jing'an Sports Center. Finals Weekend will move across Shanghai to Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong, a larger venue suited to the tournament's closing matches.
The currently announced live schedule at Jing'an Sports Center is:
- Doors open: 3:30 p.m.
- Pre-show countdown: 4:00 p.m.
- Pre-show begins: 4:30 p.m.
- Matches begin: 5:00 p.m.
All times are local. Fans travelling across Shanghai should leave time for security and identity checks rather than arriving immediately before the broadcast begins.
Riot's wider VCT calendar lists Champions Shanghai from September 24 through October 18. Regional Stage 2 competitions continue until September 6, so the full field and final groups may not be complete when the first tickets go on sale.
Teams already qualified for Champions Shanghai
Qualification is still in progress across the Americas, EMEA and Pacific regions. The China representatives listed in the current event field include TYLOO, JD Gaming, EDward Gaming and Xi Lai Gaming.
Karmine Corp, Team Liquid, FUT Esports and Team Vitality are listed from EMEA, while Paper Rex has secured a Pacific place. Remaining slots will be determined through Stage 2 results and championship points.
Because the final group draw is not yet available, buyers may have to choose a date without knowing exactly which teams will play in that session. Fans attending primarily to see one organisation should factor that uncertainty into their purchase decision.
Refund policy and important dates
Tickets purchased through MAISEAT can be submitted for refund during the designated period, subject to a 3.5% processing fee.
Riot says the international refund window is expected to run from September 2 at 11:00 a.m. until September 17 at 2:00 p.m. China Standard Time. Approved refunds should return to the original payment method in about five to ten business days, although banks and payment providers may take longer.
Refunds apply to the whole order, not one individual ticket inside a group order. Each account can use the refund process only once per event day. If a buyer purchases new seats for that same day after a successful refund, the replacement order is not eligible for the normal refund process.
Outside the published window, refunds are generally unavailable unless circumstances are beyond the organiser's control.
Bag, camera and recording rules
Jing'an Sports Center does not offer a bag-storage or coat-check service. Bags must fit under the seat, and anything larger than 16.5 inches wide, 20.5 inches high and 5.5 inches deep is prohibited.
Professional cameras and interchangeable-lens cameras are not allowed. The restricted list also includes detachable phone lenses, tripods, monopods, gimbals, flashes, selfie sticks, GoPros and handheld audio recorders.
Laptops and tablets are prohibited, as are outside food and drinks. Fans cannot bring glass containers, thermoses, tumblers, flags, banners, LED signs, horns or drums. Unauthorised livestreaming or broadcasting from inside the arena is also banned.
Re-entry is permitted, but attendees must use the same ticket and registered ID and pass security screening again.
Cosplay rules at Champions Shanghai
Cosplay is welcome, but a costume cannot prevent facial-recognition checks. Face coverings and makeup that substantially changes the attendee's appearance are not allowed.
Costumes can be no larger than 1.2 metres wide, 1.8 metres long and 2.4 metres tall. Props are limited to 0.3 metres in length, and attendees must be able to sit without blocking nearby seats.
Metal and wooden costumes are prohibited. Weapons and replica weapons are also banned, including foam, plastic and 3D-printed versions. That rule applies even when a prop is based directly on an in-game weapon.
How international fans should prepare before the sale
The safest approach is to have every required detail ready before the queue opens.
- Confirm the exact session date and price tier you want.
- Create or verify your MAISEAT account in advance.
- Keep each attendee's passport details available and enter them exactly as printed.
- Make sure the payment method can complete an international transaction.
- Do not use resale sites or social-media sellers.
- Save the order confirmation, but remember that the physical passport remains essential for entry.
- Wait for the final seat assignment to appear in the ticket wallet shortly before the event.
Fans should also separate tournament tickets from travel requirements. A confirmed event seat does not guarantee permission to enter China. Visitors need to check the current visa and entry rules that apply to their nationality before booking non-refundable flights or hotels.
Why Champions Shanghai 2026 matters
Champions is the season-ending world championship of the VALORANT Champions Tour. The 2026 event brings the leading teams from the Americas, China, EMEA and Pacific to one city for more than three weeks of competition.
Shanghai gives Riot access to one of VALORANT's largest and most energetic fan markets. Splitting the event between an intimate early-stage arena and Mercedes-Benz Arena for Finals Weekend also follows a familiar esports model: build the story through groups and eliminations, then scale up the spectacle when the trophy is decided.
For fans, the immediate story is the September 2 sale. The prices are clear, but the strict identity rules leave little room for mistakes. Enter the passport details carefully, buy only for confirmed attendees and treat any offer of a transferable ticket as a warning sign.
Sources
- Riot Games/VALORANT Esports: Champions Shanghai live audience and ticket sale information, August 26, 2026
- Riot Games/VALORANT Esports: 2026 VCT schedule
- VLR.gg: VALORANT Champions 2026 event overview and qualified teams
Thumbnail: Official VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 event artwork. Image courtesy of Riot Games.
