VALORANT Champions 2026: Teams and Groups Revealed

VALORANT Champions 2026, the pinnacle esports event of the year by Riot Games, has officially revealed the 16 qualified teams and group draw results. The tournament will be held in Shanghai, China, marking the first time the city hosts a Champions edition. With a prize pool of $1 million for the champion, the event promises high-level competition. Group A features a clash between 100 Thieves (Americas Stage 2 champions and Esports World Cup 2026 winners), T1 (Pacific - deep roster and experience), JD Gaming (China - firepower), and FUT Esports (EMEA - also known for firepower). This is considered the most unpredictable group, as all four teams have impressive form this season. 100 Thieves come with momentum from EWC, but the pressure to defend their title could affect their mentality. Group B brings together LOUD (Americas - international pedigree), Team Vitality (EMEA - 4th seed from the region), Global Esports (Pacific - Pacific Stage 2 champions), and EDward Gaming (China - star power). Despite being EMEA's lowest seed, Team Vitality cannot be underestimated, as they have caused upsets before. Meanwhile, Global Esports has established dominance in Asia-Pacific but lacks international experience. EDward Gaming relies heavily on star individuals, which could be a weakness if opponents shut down those stars. Group C sees G2 (Americas) face Team Liquid (EMEA), Paper Rex (Pacific), and TYLOO (China - China Stage 2 champions). Paper Rex is known for being able to 'brutally end a team's run on any given day,' but also for inconsistency. Team Liquid and G2 have a history of intense clashes, especially Liquid who have repeatedly faced Paper Rex. TYLOO benefits from home crowd support, but home pressure can be a double-edged sword. Group D features NRG (Americas), Karmine Corp (EMEA), Nongshim RedForce (Pacific), and Xi Lai Gaming (China). All three teams NRG, Karmine Corp, and Nongshim RedForce are considered title contenders. Xi Lai Gaming is described as a team that can swing any series if they catch form. This group promises many surprises. Notably, the format: group stage selects top 2 from each group to a double-elimination playoff. Playoffs will be BO3 except for the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final, which are BO5. This favors strong teams but also carries risk due to only two BO5s in the entire tournament. With no bracket reset, a lower bracket team can ride momentum to upset opponents. Another important point: Riot Games announced VCT 2027 Open Qualifiers starting November 2026. This signals an expanding competitive system, creating opportunities for more teams to access the international stage. Champions 2026 is the final chapter of the current season and a stepping stone for the future. However, the analysis points out that the lack of patch information is a major gap. There is no data on agents, map pool, or meta. This reduces the predictive value of any assessments. For fans, the tournament remains an exciting mystery where tactics and individual form will decide everything. VALORANT Champions 2026 promises to be a memorable event, featuring the best names from four regions. Will 100 Thieves continue their dominance? Or will Paper Rex explode? The answer will come from the Shanghai stage.