VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026: teams, groups, schedule and format

The VALORANT world championship runs from September 24 to October 18, with 16 teams competing for a $2.25 million prize pool.

NRG begins its title defense against Nongshim RedForce, winner of Masters Santiago earlier this year. EMEA champion Karmine Corp and Xi Lai Gaming complete Group D, giving the defending world champion an immediate route through two teams that have already won major titles this season.

The draw is now set, along with the opening fixtures and the route to the grand final. Team Liquid and Paper Rex get Champions Shanghai underway on September 24.

Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), Pacific and China each send four teams. The Stage 2 winner and runner-up take their region's first two seeds. The other places go to the two remaining teams with the most Championship Points, which reward results across the season. Those teams enter as the third and fourth regional seeds.

Each group contains one team from every region and one from each seed pool. The numbers below indicate regional seeds, with opening matches pairing the first seed against the fourth and the second against the third.

The draw keeps regional opponents apart throughout the group stage, although they can meet once the playoffs begin.

Paper Rex arrives in Group C with the strongest international record of the four teams. It reached both Masters finals this season, losing to Nongshim RedForce in Santiago and LEVIATÁN in London. Its first opponent is Team Liquid, runner-up to Karmine Corp in EMEA Stage 2, while Chinese champion TYLOO opens against G2 Esports.

Group B has plenty of recent form too. EDward Gaming and Team Vitality both reached the final four at Masters London before qualifying for Champions through points. Global Esports arrives as Pacific's Stage 2 champion, with Americas runner-up LOUD completing the group.

100 Thieves enters Group A after winning Americas Stage 2. T1 is first up, while JD Gaming and FUT Esports play the other opening match.

The group stage runs from September 24 to October 4. Each four-team group uses a GSL double-elimination format, with every series played best-of-three.

The two opening winners meet for the first playoff place. The two losing teams then play an elimination match, before the remaining two teams meet for the second spot. Two series wins take you through and two losses send you home.

Eight teams move into a fresh double-elimination playoff bracket on October 7. Everyone starts in the upper bracket, with one loss dropping a team into the lower bracket and a second ending its tournament.

Most playoff series remain best-of-three. The lower final and grand final switch to best-of-five, with the final place decided on October 17 and the championship match following on October 18.

The opening round occupies four days, with two matches scheduled each day. Shanghai uses UTC+8, making the local starting slots of 17:00 and 20:00 equivalent to 09:00 and 12:00 UTC.

For viewers in the UK, those slots are 10:00 and 13:00 BST. Central European viewers get 11:00 and 14:00 CEST. In North America, the scheduled starts are 05:00 and 08:00 EDT, or 02:00 and 05:00 PDT. These are scheduled series times, so a long opening match can delay the second broadcast matchup.

Nobody qualifies or goes home during these first four days. Each team plays once before the September 28 break. The first playoff places are decided on September 29, and elimination matches begin on October 1.

Once every team has played its opening match, the group stage continues over three more rounds before the playoffs begin on October 7.

Groups C and D return on September 29 for their winners' matches, followed by elimination games on October 1 and deciders on October 3. Groups A and B play the same rounds one day later.

The group stage and early playoffs take place at Jing'an Sports Center. After October 11, the tournament pauses for four days before the final four teams move to Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong.

October 16 has two series, including the upper final, with the lower final following on October 17 and the grand final on October 18. Finals-weekend broadcasts start at 14:00 Shanghai time, or 06:00 UTC, although individual series can begin later. The October 17 lower final, for example, is scheduled for 15:00 local time. The champion takes $1 million from the $2.25 million prize pool.

Champions Shanghai will be live on Twitch and YouTube, and Riot is adding a few ways to play along while you watch. On Twitch, the optional Shotcall extension lets you predict things like map winners and round outcomes during the broadcast, with points feeding into a leaderboard.

Group-stage Pick'Ems are already open through the VALORANT client, Riot Mobile and the esports website. Taking part earns the Calculated title, while finishing in the top 50 percent awards the Stone of Heaven gun buddy. The top 20 percent receive a Pick'Ems Master version.

Group picks lock at approximately 09:10 UTC on September 24. Playoff predictions open after the October 4 draw and lock at approximately 09:10 UTC on October 7.