Riot Games has officially lifted the curtain on the logistical scale of the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) China season. Described by the publisher as its most ambitious single-region tour to date, the VCT China roadshow will traverse seven major metropolitan areas, transforming the domestic season into a geographically diverse spectacle. This announcement confirms the locations for every major regional stage, culminating in the prestigious VALORANT Champions event.
The Unprecedented Scale of the China Roadshow
The decision to host a multi-city tour marks a strategic elevation of China`s role in the global VALORANT ecosystem, positioning it not just as a region of competitive talent, but as a central hub for large-scale esports production. This ambitious schedule demands complex coordination, moving production, teams, and personnel across vast distances for maximum regional outreach.
The roadshow is structured to maximize fan engagement, featuring events far beyond the confines of the main competition stage, including city takeovers, fan fests, and specialized VIP galas designed to integrate the professional esports experience into local culture.
The Confirmed VCT China 2026 City Lineup
The schedule outlines a clear geographic journey, starting in the south and moving toward the definitive final international event:
- VCT CN Kickoff: Guangzhou (The season opener)
- VCT CN Stage 1 Regular Season: Hangzhou
- VCT CN Stage 1 Playoffs: Beijing (The capital’s showcase)
- VCT CN Stage 2 Regular Season: Changsha
- VCT CN Stage 2 Playoffs: Chengdu (The domestic conclusion)
- VALORANT Champions: Shanghai (The global climax)
- VALORANT Radiant Invitational: To be announced (Awaiting final venue confirmation)
Kickoff and the Triple-Elimination Gauntlet
The VCT China competitive season is slated to commence on January 22nd with the Kickoff event in Guangzhou. This tournament is critical, serving as the qualifier for the first international major of the year: Masters Santiago.
Twelve franchised teams will vie for promotion through a newly implemented triple-elimination bracket. While double-elimination is a standard competitive structure, the triple-elimination format introduces a complex safety net, requiring a team to lose three times before being truly eliminated. This structure ensures maximum air time and gives high-caliber teams ample opportunity to recover from early missteps, potentially adding a welcome layer of competitive drama for the early season.
Adding a strategic wrinkle to the Kickoff phase, four teams that demonstrated exceptional performance at Champions Paris 2025—Bilibili Gaming, Dragon Ranger Gaming, EDward Gaming, and XLG Esports—will receive a direct bye into the second round of the upper bracket. This acknowledges their prior success while intensifying the competition for the remaining eight teams.
Ultimately, only the top three finishers emerging from this intense gauntlet will secure passage to VALORANT Masters Santiago, scheduled to run from February 28th to March 15th.
A Global Shift: The Destination Event Mandate
The structure announced for VCT China’s Playoffs is indicative of a broader global strategic shift by Riot Games. Following the precedent set by VCT Pacific in 2025, the final weekend of Stage 2 Playoffs across all VCT regions will now be held as “destination events.”
This means that regional finals are no longer confined to static studio environments but are now treated as mobile, high-production spectacles designed to draw major live crowds. For fans worldwide, this change promises greater regional parity in production quality and live audience experience, fundamentally changing how the regional competitive seasons conclude before Champions.
While the immediate focus is on the logistics and complex formats of VCT China 2026, the success of this monumental roadshow will undoubtedly serve as a critical test case for how Riot Games manages its premier esports titles across globally distributed competitive calendars.
