Weibo Gaming Makes a Comeback as VCT China Narrows Down Partners to Eight for 2027

The eight teams chosen as partners for the VCT China (VCT CN) in the 2027–2028 cycle were revealed on Monday, with league operator TJ Sports, a collaboration between Tencent and Riot Games, sharing each team’s announcement. The league is reducing its partner count from 10 to eight as Riot streamlines partner lists across all regions.

Six teams have retained their partner status: EDward Gaming (EDG), JD Gaming (JDG), Bilibili Gaming (BLG), TYLOO, All Gamers, and Trace Esports. Xi Lai Gaming (XLG), which secured its position through VCT Ascension China in 2024 and has been competing as a visitor team since 2025, is now elevated to partner status. Weibo Gaming (WBG) is the only new addition without a VCT CN slot in the 2026 season.

FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), Wolves Esports, Nova Esports, and Titan Esports Club (TEC) have lost their partner status, while visitor team Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) was not selected.

Sources close to TJ Sports indicated that the selection process emphasized financial commitment and the resources of the teams’ parent organizations, including contractual guarantees for celebrity activations and traffic support from platforms like Weibo, Bilibili, and JD.com. JDG is backed by JD.com, while BLG and WBG are supported by Bilibili and Weibo, respectively.

WBG previously participated in the VALORANT China National Tournament (VCNT) and brings a solid operational history across various titles, along with access to Weibo’s content ecosystem.

In WBG’s announcement video, Yang Xin, general manager of the Weibo Esports Club, highlighted VALORANT as a key component of Weibo’s long-term strategy and expressed the club’s readiness for ongoing investment. He emphasized that WBG would prioritize training and team development, supported by resources, competitive backing, and player welfare.

This partner announcement coincides with a significant restructuring of the circuit.

On a global scale, VCT 2027 will replace regional leagues with a tournament circuit featuring Open Qualifiers, Kickoff, Cups, Masters, and Champions. Partners will have direct entry into the Kickoff, and in China, the Kickoff will include two visitor teams and two open qualifiers alongside the eight partners. Non-partner teams will receive fixed payments for qualifying: $100,000 for a Kickoff or Cup, $200,000 for Masters, and $400,000 for Champions, as outlined in Riot’s June announcement.

VCT CN will also shift away from hosting nearly all regional matches in its Shanghai studio. The 2027 schedule will feature a three-city domestic tour: Kickoff in Hangzhou from January 14 to February 7, coinciding with regional Kickoffs in São Paulo, Berlin, and Bangkok; Cup 1 in Wuhan from April 29 to May 23, alongside events in Mexico City, Warsaw, and Manila; and Cup 2 in Shanghai from August 5 to 29, alongside Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, and Tokyo.

Internationally, the season will kick off with Masters Seoul from February 20 to March 3, followed by Masters Valencia in Spain from June 5 to 20. The season will conclude in Austin, Texas, from September 16 to October 10, where the Game Changers Championship will take place alongside VALORANT Champions for the first time.

In the other three regions, Riot’s cuts have also excluded organizations like Cloud9 and KIWOOM DRX.