VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1: Schedule and Results Overview
VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1 marks the kickoff of the competitive season for teams from North and South America, running from late March to late May as part of Riot’s updated VALORANT esports schedule.
Twelve partnered teams return from the Kickoff and Masters Santiago to vie for championship points, a coveted spot at Masters London, and an early advantage in the race for Champions 2026.
As before, the league features a lengthy group stage followed by Playoffs, where every victory contributes to each team’s points total. The top three teams at the conclusion of Stage 1 will secure their places at Masters London, while the remaining squads will battle to remain in contention for Stage 2 and the season finals.
VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1 kicks off on April 10 and wraps up on May 25, 2026. The Group Stage runs from April 10 to May 11, followed by the Playoffs from May 14 to 25. Matchdays will be spread over several weeks, featuring regular best-of-three matchups.
The competition will take place at Riot Games Arena in the United States, adhering to the same format as other international leagues, including a multi-week Group Stage leading into a Playoff bracket to conclude the split.
Here’s the full schedule:
Friday, April 10, 2026
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Friday, April 17, 2026
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Friday, April 24, 2026
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Friday, May 1, 2026
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Friday, May 22, 2026
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Sunday, May 24, 2026
In VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1, 12 partnered teams will clash in intense matches. The teams have been divided into Alpha and Omega groups based on their Kickoff seeds:
| Group Alpha | Group Omega |
|---|---|
| MIBR (Brazil) | NRG (United States) |
| Cloud9 (United States) | FURIA (Brazil) |
| Leviatán (Argentina) | 100 Thieves (United States) |
| LOUD (Brazil) | Evil Geniuses (United States) |
| G2 Esports (United States) | Sentinels (United States) |
| ENVY (United States) | KRÜ Esports (Argentina) |
Stage 1 features a two-phase format. The Group Stage consists of 12 teams split into two groups of six, competing in a single round-robin format where each team plays five best-of-three series.
Each match victory awards one Championship point, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the Playoffs. The bottom two teams in each group will be eliminated from Stage 1. Groups are formed using six seeding pools based on Kickoff results, ensuring a competitive balance by distributing top, mid-table, and lower-placed teams accordingly.
The Playoffs will include eight teams in total (the top four from each group), structured with upper and lower brackets. The first and second-placed teams from each group will enter the upper bracket in round one, while the fourth-placed teams will start in the lower bracket. Initial rounds will be best-of-three, with the finals set as best-of-five.
Regarding Championship Points distribution for VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1, it will be structured as follows:
| Position | Team | Points | Masters London Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | TBD | 6 | Masters London |
| 2nd | TBD | 4 | Masters London |
| 3rd | TBD | 3 | Masters London |
| 4th | TBD | 2 | – |
| 5th and 6th | TBD | – | |
| 5th and 6th | TBD | – | |
| 7th and 8th | FURIA | – | |
| 7th and 8th | LOUD | – | |
| 9th and 10th | ENVY | 2 | – |
| 9th and 10th | Sentinels | 2 | – |
| 11th and 12th | Cloud9 | 1 | – |
| 11th and 12th | Evil Geniuses | – |
These points will stack on top of what teams earned during the Kickoff and Masters Santiago, influencing seeding and qualification for future events like Stage 2, the Season Finals, and Champions later this year.
VCT 2026 maintains a consistent international structure across all regions, with the top three teams qualifying for Masters London. As the second international event of the year following Masters Santiago, Stage 1 holds significant importance for all teams involved.
Teams from the Pacific, China, and EMEA will also return to their respective regions, aiming for a shot at VCT Masters London later this year.
