Riot Games has laid out the calendar for the 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour, and the map is bigger than ever. Fifteen host locations will carry the season from January to October, covering Kickoff events, two Cups, two Masters tournaments, and a combined Champions and Game Changers Championship finale. For fans and bettors alike, it is the first real look at where the action will happen next year.
A season built around 15 cities
The year opens with regional Kickoff events between January 14 and February 7: São Paulo for the Americas, Berlin for EMEA, Bangkok for the Pacific, and Hangzhou for China. Masters Seoul follows from February 20 to March 3. Cup 1 runs from April 29 to May 23 in Mexico City, Warsaw, Manila, and Wuhan, before Masters València takes over from June 5 to June 20. Cup 2 then spans August 5 to 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Tokyo, and Shanghai. The season ends in Austin, which hosts Champions and the Game Changers Championship between September 16 and October 10.
Riot also plans more than 50 tournaments across the year, aiming to create extra entry points for teams outside the franchised core. Open qualifiers start in November, and non-partnered teams that reach Kickoff are set to receive a $100,000 stipend.
The road to Berlin for EMEA
The EMEA qualifier format has now been published. Four qualifier teams will reach Berlin: two from Europe, one from Türkiye, and one from MENA. They join eight partnered teams, making a 12-team Kickoff.
All open qualifiers are single-elimination best-of-three. In Europe, the top four from each of two November qualifiers advance to a 16-team double-elimination playoff, joined by eight non-partner teams with direct invites. The top two of that bracket book their tickets, with the playoffs running from November 26 to December 5. Türkiye uses a similar path but finishes with two GSL-style groups and a single qualifying spot. MENA runs parallel sub-regional qualifiers for the Middle East and North Africa, then a best-of-five between the two winners at a single LAN location on December 6.
Registration for the first qualifiers opened on October 15 and closes on October 28 for Europe and MENA, and on November 7 for Türkiye. Eligibility rules are strict: players must be at least 17, hold Ascendant 1 or higher, and each team needs at least three starters living in its chosen home region.
What it means for fans and bettors
A longer calendar with more qualifiers means more matches, more underdog stories, and more markets. Anyone planning to follow the season should compare the esports bookmakers that cover open qualifiers, since smaller events are not always offered. It is also worth keeping an eye on current esports betting bonuses before the Kickoff qualifiers begin in November. Always read the terms and bet responsibly.
Source: VLR.gg reporting on the VCT 2027 host locations and EMEA Kickoff qualifiers.
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