All 16 VALORANT Champions 2026 Participants Have Been Determined

Qualifiers for the year’s main Valorant event have concluded. All 16 teams that will compete for the world championship title in Shanghai have already been determined, and the Stage 2 Grand Finals in the Pacific and Americas regions will only determine the seeding in the tournament bracket, as the first- and second-place finishers are guaranteed spots in the Champions tournament regardless of the outcome.

The final participant was determined following today’s match in the VCT 2026: Americas Stage 2 lower bracket final between LOUD and NRG. After five intense maps, LOUD advanced to the grand finals, while NRG was eliminated from the event. As a result, both teams secured their spots at Champions, and the full list of participants is as follows:

China

• TYLOO
• JD Gaming
• EDward Gaming
• XLG Esports

Americas

• 100 Thieves
• LOUD
• NRG
• G2 Esports

EMEA

• Karmine Corp
• Team Liquid
• FUT Esports
• Team Vitality

Pacific

• NongShim RedForce
• Global Esports
• Paper Rex
• T1

Under the VCT 2026 rules, each of the four regions: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China sends 4 teams to Champions. Two spots are awarded directly through the Stage 2 playoffs, as the upper and lower bracket finalists are guaranteed a trip to Shanghai, while the other two are determined by the total Championship Points accumulated throughout the season at Kickoff, Stage 1, and both Masters events.

As a reminder, VALORANT Champions 2026 kicks off on September 24 and runs through October 18 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. Sixteen teams will compete for the title of the world’s best and a total prize pool of $2,250,000. According to insiders, the Champions 2026 collection will include skins for the knife and the Phantom.