Major Overhaul Planned for VCT in 2027

Riot Games has unveiled a series of significant changes to the Valorant ecosystem set to roll out in 2027. The competitive landscape of this franchise will transition from a league-based format to a tournament-centric system, marking a major shift after years of a closed structure.

In this new setup, teams will kick off their journey by participating in open qualifier events, which will lead to regional tournaments that replace the existing league play. The top performers from these regional competitions will then move on to international events like Masters and Champions, maintaining their current format.

This overhaul opens the door for teams without a Riot partnership to tap into substantial financial opportunities within the ecosystem, including:

● Cash rewards linked to qualification at each competition stage

● Access to prize pools for both regional and global events, exceeding $6 million annually

● Financial assistance for travel and participation in global competitions

● Quicker, more reliable payout cycles to support team operations throughout the season

While Valorant will embrace a more inclusive esports environment, Riot will still collaborate with select teams through a new two-year partnership cycle. Teams can apply for partnership status to gain access to base salaries, performance bonuses, and revenue from specific digital items (like in-game skins). Partnered teams will also receive seeding advantages in the later stages of open qualifier tournaments.

Additionally, Riot has announced that the Valorant Champions Tour will feature more live tournaments globally than ever before, with over 20 in-person events scheduled across more than 16 cities.

More information will be shared later this year in anticipation of the Champions tournament.

In light of the Overwatch League’s collapse, the esports industry is reassessing the sustainability of the franchise model. Valorant operates within a genre that has a rich tradition of open bracket tournaments. The new partnership framework also aligns more closely with models seen in games like Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League, the latter of which has received praise from teams for its positive impact on organizational revenue.