VCT Pacific Kickoff will feature a triple-elimination bracket.
The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific is lining up a packed 2026 season, kicking off in January and bringing new teams, fresh formats, and a clearer structure across all three stages of play.
Riot Games has confirmed that the new season will begin on 22 January, setting the tone for another year of high-stakes regional competition. With global qualification spots and a US$250,000 prize pool on the line, the Pacific League heads into 2026 with several notable changes that affect everything from Kickoff to the path towards Champions.
New teams and a wider door from Challengers
The VCT Pacific lineup will look different this year. Full Sense step into the league for the 2026 season, replacing TALON Esports. Alongside them are two teams promoted through Ascension Pacific 2025, with Nongshim RedForce returning to the international stage and VARREL making their VCT Pacific debut.
Riot Games is also expanding how teams can reach the biggest stage of the season. The newly introduced Challengers Path to Champions allows Challengers teams to compete for spots in the VCT Pacific Stage 2 Playoffs, keeping the door open for late-season runs into Champions. A full breakdown of how the system works is available HERE.
Championship Points are back as well. Under the 2026 rules, the top two teams on the points leaderboard will qualify directly for Champions, joined by the top two teams from the Stage 2 Playoffs. The system continues to reward teams that stay competitive across the entire season rather than relying on a single deep run.
Kickoff switches things up with triple elimination
The season opens with VCT Pacific Kickoff, running from 22 January to 15 February, and for the first time, the event will use a triple elimination bracket. Teams will have three losses before being knocked out, increasing match volume and giving squads more room to recover from early setbacks.
The top four teams from Champions 2025 receive a first-round bye in the Upper Bracket, while the remaining teams are placed through a random draw. When Kickoff wraps up, the top three teams will book their spots at Masters Santiago, the first global VCT event of the year.
Riot Games noted that the updated format reduces downtime between Kickoff and Stage 1, particularly for teams that do not qualify for Masters.
How Stage 1 and Stage 2 will play out
After Masters Santiago, teams return for Stage 1, which runs from 3 April to 17 May. The 12 teams are split into two groups of six, playing a single round robin Best-of-3 within their groups. The top four teams from each group advance to the Playoffs.
Stage 1 Playoffs feature a double elimination bracket, with Best-of-5 series reserved for the Lower Finals and Grand Finals. The top three teams qualify for Masters London.
Following Masters London, Stage 2 runs from 16 July to 6 September. Group play mirrors Stage 1, but only the top two teams from each group advance directly to Playoffs. The remaining eight teams move into Play-Ins, joined by four Challengers teams. From there, four more teams earn Playoff spots.
At the end of Stage 2, two teams qualify directly for Champions 2026, with two additional spots decided by Championship Points. Teams are also competing to be crowned VCT Pacific champions.
Schedule, match times, and where to watch
VCT Pacific 2026 will once again run across three stages:
- Kickoff: 22 January to 15 February
- Stage 1: 3 April to 17 May
- Stage 2: 16 July to 6 September
Matches will start at 4:00PM SGT each matchday. The full schedule will be available at VALORANTESPORTS.com and updated throughout the season.
Fans can watch VCT Pacific across Twitch, YouTube, SOOP, and regional platforms, with broadcasts available in English, Korean, Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Hindi. The season is supported by Acer, Intel, Pulsar, Red Bull, and ZOWIE.
