Valorant Champions Tour Open Qualifiers Start In November
Ahead of the VALORANT Champions 2026, taking place in Shanghai later this month, Riot Games has released details of VCT 2027 Open Qualifiers. The revamped Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) will switch from leagues to cups and make it easier for non-partner teams to potentially compete in top-tier events.
Open Qualifiers are meant to provide a path to the major tournaments for non-partner teams. To encourage even greater openness, as it were, Riot aims to provide an easier pathway to make a run at the Champions events. They hope it will improve competitiveness and the viewing experience for fans.
Qualifiers for the 2027 Champions start in November this year and will enable non-partner teams to compete in all regions, albeit with some caveats.
Eligibility Requirements
3 of a team’s 5 roster members must hail from the qualifier region and all players must meet eligibility requirements. These requirements will include MMR thresholds, which means rosters will also need to get playing to ensure they’re good enough.
As long as 3 players on the Open team remain on the roster, the team’s competitive progress will be retained.
Kickoff qualifiers, which are regional level events, will now feature 8 partner teams as well as 4 teams that progressed through regional qualifiers. Qualification also comes with a $100,000 prize, meant to ensure the sustainability of the team. Qualifying for Masters and Champions events brings even bigger prizes of $200,000 and $400,000, respectively.
There will be 16 Open Qualifiers, with 3 in EMEA, 8 in the Pacific region, 4 in the Americas, and 1 in China. Teams can enter more than one qualifier in their region, where available, giving several routes into the main tournaments.
Riot has advised that interested teams use the next few months to build competitive rosters, ensure they meet eligibility requirements, and come up with team specifics.
What Is VCT?
The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) is Valorant’s professional esports structure. It is operated by game maker, Riot Games, and offers qualifiers, competitions, and tournaments in the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China regions. The VALORANT Champions tournament is the pinnacle of the VCT and takes place once a year.
Can Anyone Compete In The VCT Open Qualifiers?
The new VCT Open Qualifiers offer greater openness and opportunity for non-partner teams. However, they do have strict player and roster requirements. This will include competitive ranking requirements, which have not been announced yet.
