The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2026 season gets off to an explosive start with four regional Kickoff events. These LAN tournaments for the Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific will determine which three teams from each region qualify for Masters Santiago 2026.
With spots at the first Masters event of the year and VCT points on the line, the stakes are high. Join us as we discuss the essential details of all four regional VCT 2026 Kickoff events and share expert betting predictions for each one.
VCT 2026 Kickoff Format & Points
All four regions use the same format for their respective VCT 2026 Kickoff events, and are hosted by developer Riot Games.
The format is an exciting triple-elimination bracket. Upper Bracket final, Middle Bracket final, and Lower Bracket final matches are best-of-five. All other matches are best-of-three. The four teams per region that competed at VALORANT Champions Paris 2025 receive spots in Round 2 of the Upper Bracket.
Each region features 12 teams. These squads are competing for the three regional spots at Masters Santiago 2026. The top four teams also receive VCT points, which will help them qualify for the crowning VALORANT Champions event at the end of the season.
VCT 2026 Kickoff Americas Details
Kicking off the VCT 2026 in style is the Americas region. The VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff tournament takes place on LAN at Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, United States. From Jan. 15 to Feb. 15, 2026, the best teams from the region will duke it out.
Teams At VCT 2026 Kickoff Americas
The 12 teams competing at VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff are outlined below.
- NRG
- MIBR
- Sentinels
- G2 Esports
- LOUD
- Cloud9
- ENVY
- Evil Geniuses
- KRÜ Esports
- FURIA
- 100 Thieves
- Leviatán
NRG, Sentinels, G2 Esports, and MIBR qualified for Champions Paris 2025 and therefore received byes in Round 1 of the Upper Bracket.
How To Watch VCT 2026 Kickoff Americas
Catch every minute of the action by visiting our VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff betting page. Pick a match to live stream and the video will appear in a pop-up along with our betslip so you can place in-play wagers.
Other options include the official VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube channels.
VCT 2026 Kickoff Americas Predictions
We weighed recent LAN results, roster stability, map pool, early-market odds movement, and official power rankings to create our top three VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff predictions.
NRG
With NRG lifting the Paris Champions 2025 trophy after a dramatic Grand Final against Fnatic (3-2) still fresh in our minds, they’re our top pick to take home the gold at VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff.
IGL Ethan “Ethan” Arnold, the first-ever two-time world champion, is leading the charge while Paris Champions MVP, Brock “brawk” Somerhalder, is boasting undeniable form. The team also added Georgio “keiko” Sanassy to replace Sam “s0m” Oh during the offseason.
NRG is currently ranked #1 in the world. While the team has a huge target on their backs, we predict they’ll make it to Masters Santiago 2026 in pole position.
NRG roster:
- Brock “brawk” Somerhalder
- Adam “mada” Pampuch
- Logan “skuba” Jenkins
- Georgio “keiko” Sanassy
- Ethan “Ethan” Arnold (IGL)
- Malkolm “bonkar” Rench (Coach)
G2 Esports
Filled to the brim with talented players from the U.S., G2 Esports ranks #2 in the world despite their unexpectedly low 8th-place finish at Champions Paris 2025. In the offseason, G2 Esports made a huge roster move, though, when they replaced Jonah “JonahP” Pulice with Andrej “babybay” Francisty.
In their first outing with babybay, G2 defeated NRG 3-0 in the Grand Final of Red Bull Home Ground 2025. This was a signal of strength and instilled confidence that they’ll make the podium at VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff.
G2 Esports roster:
- Trent “trent” Cairns
- Nathan “leaf” Orf
- Alexander “jawgemo” Mor
- Andrej “babybay” Francisty
- Jacob “valyn” Batio (IGL)
- Josh “JoshRT” Lee (Coach)
Sentinels
We predict that the exciting new Sentinels roster will smash the opposition to claim the final spot of the Americas region at Masters Santiago 2026. With only Amine “johnqt” Ouarid from the 2025 roster remaining, the organization added a mix of talented players led by Canadian IGL Mirel “Kyu” Hrustemovic.
Sentinels is ranked #15 in the world and considered a top-three team in North America. That’s why we picked Sentinels over MIBR, KRÜ Esports, and Leviatán for 3rd-place, but it was a close call.
Sentinels roster:
- Amine “johnqt” Ouarid
- Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey
- Gabriel “cortezia” Cortez
- Yassin “reduxx” Aboulalazm
- Mirel “Kyu” Hrustemovic (IGL)
- Adam “kaplan” Kaplan (Coach)
VCT 2026 Kickoff EMEA Details
Running from Jan. 20 to Feb. 15, 2026, the VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff event is hosted by Riot Games. Played on LAN at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, Germany, the tournament promises non-stop, top-tier action from some of the world’s best teams.
Teams At VCT 2026 Kickoff EMEA
Meet the 12 teams that will compete at VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff.
- Fnatic
- Team Heretics
- GIANTX
- Team Liquid
- NAVI
- Karmine Corp
- FUT Esports
- Gentle Mates
- PCIFIC Esports
- BBL Esports
- Team Vitality
- ULF Esports
Fnatic, GIANTX, Team Heretics, and Team Liquid qualified for Champions Paris 2025 and received byes in Round 1 of the Upper Bracket.
How To Watch VCT 2026 Kickoff EMEA
Watch all the action live via our dedicated VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff betting page. Select a match, and a live stream will pop up, alongside a betslip so you can place in-play wagers.
Alternatively, check out the official VALORANT EMEA Twitch and YouTube channels.
VCT 2026 Kickoff EMEA Predictions
After performing diligent research and taking the official power rankings into consideration, we chose our top three picks from VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff below.
Fnatic
With British legend Jake “Boaster” Howlett calling the shots, there are few teams that can match the strategic prowess of Fnatic. The squad is ranked #2 in the world and #1 in the EMEA region.
Thanks to their 2nd-place finish at Champions Paris 2025 and multiple trophies in their cabinet, Fnatic feels like a shoo-in for a podium finish. The team also added Sylvain “Veqaj” Pattyn to replace Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov during the offseason, though we’re yet to the impact of this move.
Fnatic roster:
- Emir “Alfajer” Beder
- Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski
- Austin “crashies” Roberts
- Sylvain “Veqaj” Pattyn
- Jake “Boaster” Howlett (IGL)
- Milan “Milan” de Meij (Coach)
Team Heretics
Team Heretics is the #2 squad in the EMEA region, and #7 in the world. With Turkish stars Enes “RieNs” Ecirli and Mert “Wo0t” Alkan, the crew boasts significant firepower.
During the offseason, there was one surprising roster change in the Team Heretics camp. IGL Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius lost his younger brother, Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius, to Team Liquid. In MiniBoo’s place is Berkcan “ComeBack” Şentürk. Will the change propel Heretics to new heights? We’ll find out soon!
Team Heretics roster:
- Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish
- Enes “RieNs” Ecirli
- Mert “Wo0t” Alkan
- Berkcan “ComeBack” Şentürk
- Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius (IGL)
- Neil “neilzinho” Finlay (Coach)
GIANTX
Ranked #13 in the world and #4 in EMEA, GIANTX turned heads in Stage 2 last year, placing 2nd and earning a spot at Champions Paris. While the team ultimately finished 7th-8th, they showed solid form.
Notably, GIANTX is one of the few teams that made no roster changes during the offseason, opting to stay together for the 2026 season. That’s why we’ve chosen them as our 3rd-place prediction above Team Liquid.
GIANTX roster:
- Miłosz “westside” Duda
- Eduard-George “ara” Hanceriuc
- Karel “Flickless” Maeckelbergh
- Grzegorz “GRUBINHO” Ryczko
- Kirill “Cloud” Nekhozhin (IGL)
- Daniil “pipsoN” Meshcheryakov (Coach)
VCT 2026 Kickoff Pacific Details
VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff runs from Jan. 22 to Feb. 15. The tournament takes place live on LAN at the Sangam Colosseum in Seoul, South Korea. With the likes of Paper Rex, T1, Gen.G Esports, DRX, and Rex Regum Qeon in attendance, sparks are set to fly.
Teams At VCT 2026 Kickoff Pacific
You’ll find a list of all 12 teams competing at the VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff event below.
- T1
- Rex Regum Qeon
- DRX
- Paper Rex
- NS RedForce
- Team Secret
- ZETA DIVISION
- FULL SENSE
- Global Esports
- VARREL
- DetonatioN FM
- Gen.G Esports
T1, DRX, Paper Rex, and Rex Regum Qeon qualified for Champions Paris 2025 and therefore received byes in Round 1 of the Upper Bracket.
How To Watch VCT 2026 Kickoff Pacific
Watch all the action live via our VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff betting page. Once the tournament gets underway, simply select a match, and a live stream will pop up, alongside a betslip so you can place in-play wagers.
Or, check out the official VALORANT Pacific Twitch and YouTube channels.
VCT 2026 Kickoff Pacific Predictions
We researched the latest available information, rankings, matchup histories, and roster changes to make our top three predictions for VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff.
Paper Rex
It would be considered a massive upset if Paper Rex doesn’t make it to Masters Santiago 2026. Led by Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto, who many consider the GOAT of VALORANT esports, Paper Rex is ranked #2 in Pacific and #5 in the world.
Paper Rex announced Adrian “invy” Reyes as a replacement for Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza in the offseason. They then went on to smash Gen.G Esports 3-1 in the Grand Final of Radiant International Invitational 2025 with invy, showcasing that their incredible form remains intact.
Paper Rex roster:
- Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee
- Ilia “something” Petrov
- Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie
- Adrian “invy” Reyes
- Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto (IGL)
- Alexandre “alecks” Sallé (Coach)
DRX
DRX is ranked #1 in VCT Pacific and #3 in the world following their 3rd-place finish at Champions Paris 2025. While Cho “Flashback” Min-hyuk retired on Jan. 8, 2026, the team announced his replacement as Ahn “Hermes” Byeong-wook on the same day.
With a 20-11 record in 2025, DRX is one of the favorites to claim a spot at Masters Santiago 2026. The South Korean roster, with Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan at the helm, has the skills to go all the way.
DRX roster:
- No “free1ng” Ha-jun
- Song “HYUNMIN” Hyun-min
- Kang “BeYN” Ha-bin
- Yoon “Flicker” Tae-hee
- Ahn “Hermes” Byeong-wook
- Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan (IGL)
- Seon-ho “termi” Pyeon (Coach)
T1
Ranked #4 in the Pacific and #12 globally, T1 is our final pick for a podium finish at VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff. The team posted an 18-14 record in 2025 and made only one roster change in the offseason, welcoming ex-Gen.G Esports star Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom.
It was a close call between T1 and Rex Regum Qeon. We also have to shout out Gen.G Esports, who could very well go all the way.
T1 roster:
- Lee “carpe” Jae-hyeok
- Ham “iZu” Woo-Joo
- Kim “Meteor” Tae-oh
- Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul
- Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom
- Kim “stax” Gu-taek (IGL)
- Kim “KDG” Dong-gun (Coach)
VCT 2026 Kickoff China Details
Running from Jan. 22 to Feb. 9, the VCT 2026 China Kickoff will be the first regional tournament to end. Hosted by Riot Games, the event takes place live on LAN at the Poly World Trade Center Expo in Guangzhou, China.
Teams At VCT 2026 China Kickoff
Below, we’ve outlined all 12 teams competing at VCT 2026 China Kickoff.
- Bilibili Gaming
- Dragon Ranger Gaming
- XLG Esports
- EDward Gaming
- All Gamers
- Nova Esports
- JD Gaming
- Titan Esports Club
- Trace Esports
- Wolves Esports
- FunPlus Phoenix
- TYLOO
Bilibili Gaming, EDward Gaming, XLG Esports, and Dragon Ranger Gaming qualified for Champions Paris 2025 and therefore received byes in Round 1 of the Upper Bracket.
How To Watch VCT 2026 Kickoff China
Watch all the VCT 2026 China action live on our VCT 2026 China Kickoff betting page. Once the tournament begins, select a match to stream the action live and make a bet or two.
You can also stream via the official VALORANT China Twitch and YouTube channels.
VCT 2026 China Kickoff Predictions
Check out our VCT 2026 China Kickoff predictions, focusing on our top three picks after many hours of research.
EDward Gaming
As the 2024 world champions, EDward Gaming remains a favorite in China. In 2025, the squad posted a 19-11 record and finished 3rd at Masters Bangkok. While they didn’t defend their title at Champions Paris, the team remains ranked #4 in China and #16 globally.
The powerhouse roster inspires confidence, with outright tournament winner odds indicating EDward Gaming is undervalued in the Global Power Rankings. That’s why we think they’ll claim the crown.
EDward Gaming roster:
- Wang “nobody” Senxu
- Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang
- Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao
- Lin “WoodAy1” Weihong
- Wan “CHICHOO” Shunzhi (IGL)
- Shao “24K” Yubo (Coach)
Bilibili Gaming
The aforementioned outright tournament winner odds indicate that Bilibili Gaming is also slightly undervalued in the rankings and has a good chance of placing 1st or 2nd at VCT 2026 China Kickoff.
Ranked #2 in China and #11 globally, Bilibili had a 17-11 record in 2025. During the offseason, the organization added Yang “bud” Renyu to the roster, and we can’t wait to find out how the talented player performs on LAN.
Bilibili Gaming roster:
- Wang “whz” Haozhe
- Liu “Knight” Yuxiang
- Lu “Levius” Yinzhong
- Wang “rushia” Xiaojie
- Yang “bud” Renyu
- Marcus “nephh” Tan (IGL)
- Tang “Muggle” Shijun (Coach)
XLG Esports
Xi Lai Gaming, aka XLG Esports, is the #1 team in China and #9 globally with a 16-10 record last year. From the region, they were the squad that made it deepest in Champions Paris, placing 9th.
It was a close call between XLG and Dragon Ranger Gaming for the third and final spot in our VCT 2026 China Kickoff predictions. XLG had the slight edge after adding Liang “Lysoar” Youhao and Huang “WsLeo” Ping-wei during the offseason.
XLG Esports roster:
- Arthur “Rarga” Churyumov
- Teng “happywei” Min-wei
- Colin “coconut” Chung
- James “NoMan” Man
- Liang “Lysoar” Youhao
- Huang “WsLeo” Ping-wei
- Aleksandr “hvoya” Eremin (Coach)
Get Ready For An Explosive Start To VCT 2026
With four regional Kickoff LAN events, the VCT 2026 season bursts out of the gate in January. It’s an exciting time for VALORANT esports fans, with many roster changes on top teams adding volatility. Will top contenders like NRG, Fnatic, Paper Rex, and EDward Gaming reign supreme in their respective regions, or will new frontrunners emerge? We can’t wait to find out!
Join us in the hype by checking out our VALORANT section, where you place bets using your preferred cryptocurrencies.
Important: Our predictions reflect the perceived strength of teams based on historical trends and the latest available odds. This analysis should not be interpreted as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes.
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