The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2026 season officially kicked off with the aptly-named regional Kickoff events this week, with Americas starting first on Thursday, 15 January 2026. There's a lot to look forward to this year, including international LAN events, all leading up to VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026. Let's take a quick look.

VCT 2026 events schedule detailed

For the uninitiated, there are four VCT regions, namely Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific. These regions all have their own Kickoff events, Stage 1 events, and Stage 2 events, leading up to the biggest international LAN events of the year.

You can mark your calendar with confidence as we've listed the start/end dates of all VCT events, locations, and other specifics such as which event is a qualification for the next via the "Objective" column via the table below.

EventsDatesLocationsObjectivesVCT Regional Kickoffs (All Regions)Jan 15 – Feb 15Regional HubsQualify for Masters SantiagoVALORANT Masters SantiagoFeb 28 – Mar 16Santiago, ChileInternational Title / Champ. PointsVCT Stage 1 (Regional Regular Season)Apr 1 – May 24Regional HubsQualify for Masters LondonVALORANT Masters LondonJun 6 – Jun 21London, UKInternational Title / Champ. PointsVCT Stage 2 (Regional Regular Season)Jun 30 – Sep 6Regional HubsQualify for VALORANT ChampionsVALORANT Champions ShanghaiSep 17 – Oct 11Shanghai, ChinaWorld ChampionshipGame Changers ChampionshipOct – Nov (TBA)TBAWomen's World Championship

It's going to be a big year for VALORANT esports fans to enjoy, and we'll be right next to you, cheering for our favorite teams, bringing you results, VCT 2026 events guides, and the biggest news stories, so stay tuned!

Header image via Riot Games.