Riot Games will overhaul the competitive structure of the ‘VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT)’ starting in 2027.

The core is a shift away from a league-centric system to an open-qualifier-based tournament model. The aim is to lower barriers to the global stage and strengthen the openness and sustainability of the esports ecosystem.

The key is the introduction of ‘open qualifiers’. Moving beyond the franchise league-centered framework, slots for all international events, including ‘Masters’ and ‘Champions’, will be determined through open qualifiers.

Open qualifiers will operate online in each region. The existing lower-league structure will be effectively dismantled and consolidated into a single tier, creating multiple opportunities to reach international events throughout the season.

The regular season will be replaced by ‘Cup’ events. The Cups are offline tournaments linked to the open qualifiers, held twice a year per region, eight in total globally. They will identify the strongest teams in each region while serving as key gateways that grant direct tickets to Masters and Champions.

The season-opening event, ‘Kickoff’, will also be completely revamped, shifting to a format open to all teams. Riot Games plans to host more than 20 tournaments annually across over 16 cities worldwide through Kickoff, Cups, and global roadshows.

The revenue structure will also be reorganized around performance. Prize money will be paid at each step of advancement, from passing open qualifiers through to Cups, Masters, and Champions. Rewards roughly double at each higher tier. Total annual prize money will expand to more than $6 million.

In addition, starting in 2027, a new partnership cycle on a two-year cadence will begin. Partner teams will receive base stipends and performance bonuses, along with the right to a ‘direct seed placement’ that allows them to enter from the later rounds of the open qualifiers. It is designed to secure both stable exposure and revenue foundations. Revenue from digital items such as team capsules will also continue to be shared. In fact, Riot Games distributed about $86 million in team-related revenue in 2025.

Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT esports, said, “This overhaul will create a more dynamic and more suspenseful esports ecosystem.”