If you searched for the VCT 2027 format, locations or open qualifiers, here is the short answer: the whole circuit is changing. Riot calls 2027 a tournament-first season.
Cups replace regular season play, the year holds more than 50 tournaments on a tour spanning 15 cities, and open teams can qualify for Kickoff, Cups, Masters and Champions.
As of November 4, 2026, Qualifier 1 sign-ups have closed in Europe and North America, and Qualifier 2 sign-ups close on November 9 (UTC).
This guide collects what Riot has published on its VCT 2027 season page, in its June 18 format post, its September 8 Open Qualifier post, its October 15 tour reveal and its October partner announcements.
UTC times are shown exactly as Riot lists them, so convert them to your own time zone before you plan around a deadline. Nothing here predicts results or rates teams.
VCT 2027 calendar at a glance (as of November 4, 2026)
| Date | Event | Location and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 9, 2026 (UTC) | Qualifier 2 sign-ups close | North America at 07:59 UTC. Europe at 22:59 UTC, after opening Nov 6 at 09:00 UTC |
| Nov 12 to 16 (UTC) | Qualifier 2 matches | Europe Nov 12 to 15, North America Nov 13 to 16. Qualifier Playoffs run through Dec 5 in Europe and Dec 7 in North America |
| Jan 11 to 31, 2027 | Kickoff Pacific | Bangkok, Thailand. 8 partners and 4 open teams |
| Jan 13 to Feb 7 | Kickoff Americas and EMEA | São Paulo, Brazil (from Jan 13) and Berlin, Germany (from Jan 14). 8 partners and 4 open teams each |
| Jan 14 to 31 | Kickoff CN | Hangzhou, China. 8 partners, 2 visitor teams and 2 open teams |
| Feb 20 to Mar 7 | Masters Seoul | Seoul, South Korea. First global event of 2027 |
| Around May, then Jun 5 to 20 | Cup 1, then Masters Valencia | Cup 1 in Manila, Mexico City, Warsaw and Wuhan. Masters in València, Spain |
| Around August, then Sep 16 to Oct 10 | Cup 2, then Champions Austin | Cup 2 in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Shanghai. Champions and the Game Changers Championship in Austin, Texas |
The short version: Kickoff is the only guarantee, everything after it is earned
A VCT 2027 season has three stages, and each one runs from open circuits to a territory event to a global event. The Kickoff stage is Kickoff Qualifiers, Kickoff and Masters Seoul. Stage 1 is Opens, Cup 1 and Masters Valencia.
Stage 2 is Opens, Cup 2 and Champions Austin. Kickoffs in the Americas, EMEA and Pacific each have 12 teams: 8 partners and 4 from Open Qualifiers.
VCT CN also has 12, split into 8 partners, 2 visitor teams and 2 from Open Qualifiers, and its partner and visitor teams go straight into Kickoff and the first two Cups.
Riot's season page sends three teams per territory from Kickoff to Masters Seoul and three per territory from Cup 1 to Masters Valencia. Champions takes the top two per territory on championship points and the top two per territory by Cup 2 placement.
Outside China, partners get direct entry to Kickoff and then have to keep earning their place. Teams that finish outside the top positions at a Cup or Masters drop into Open Playoffs and fight their way back, while teams with no results start at the next Open Qualifier.
Partnerships run on two-year renewable cycles, with eight teams per territory. Open teams also get fixed payments on top of prize money: $100,000 for qualifying for Kickoff or a Cup, $200,000 for Masters and $400,000 for Champions.
Roster continuity matters as well, because a team that keeps at least 3 of its 5 players keeps its points and progress.
How to enter a VCT 2027 Open Qualifier
- 1Find your circuitRiot lists Open Qualifiers for North America, Latin America North, Latin America South, Brazil, Europe, Türkiye, the Middle East and North Africa, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania and China. Each one runs its own sign-up, format and rules, so start from your region's page on the VALORANT Esports site.
- 2Check all five playersPlayers must be Ascendant or higher and Vanguard Check compliant, and in most regions at least 3 of the 5 must be from that region. Age limits and MMR thresholds are set regionally, so read your circuit's rules before you commit.
- 3Register on your region's platformRiot's season page points North America to Battlefy, Europe and MENA to Toornament, Brazil to Gamers Club and Türkiye to Ready4. Europe's Qualifier 2 window only opens on November 6 at 09:00 UTC and closes on November 9, so set a reminder for it.
- 4Get five-stack reps inUse the days before your bracket to play as the same five. Finding scrim partners and agreeing on rules is one route, and VALORANT Premier gives you regular team matches inside the game. Riot describes the new system as open to non-partnered teams and Premier teams alike.
- 5Review your own ranked gamesPick one repeat mistake per player and rewatch only those rounds. How to get better at Valorant lays out that feedback loop step by step.
Before you sign up
- Main deadlines: North America Qualifier 2 closes November 9 at 07:59 UTC and Europe Qualifier 2 closes November 9 at 22:59 UTC.
- Other regions on Riot's page: Latin America Qualifier 2 closes November 9 at 04:00 UTC, Brazil November 9 at 21:00 UTC, Middle East November 13 at 20:59 UTC, North Africa November 13 at 21:59 UTC and Türkiye November 15 at 17:00 UTC.
- Rank and Vanguard: every player on the roster is Ascendant or higher and Vanguard Check compliant.
- Passports: Riot tells teams to confirm valid passports and start any travel or visa preparation early.
- Team name: pick a name and branding that do not infringe trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property.
Prepping for qualifiers? Keep your own ranked games with DOR
DOR is a free Windows app for recording games. Launch VALORANT and it detects the game, records the whole match and saves kills as automatic clips in My Clips. Ace and clutch moments get a tag, and each match gets one Play of the Game clip, so you know which rounds to open first.
How to clip Valorant covers how that works. If your teammates play ranked with you and record with DOR too, Party Clip lets each of you add your own view to one highlight video. When something stands out at Kickoff or Masters Seoul, try one idea in your next ranked game, then open that recording and compare what you did.
Trim the moment in the app at 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1, or combine clips in DOR Studio (dor.gg/studio) and send a dor.gg link to your team. The VALORANT page has the rest of what DOR does for the game.
