VCT Partner Teams Reduced to Eight Per Region for 2027-2028

Riot confirmed 32 partner teams for the 2027-2028 VALORANT Champions Tour, reducing each regional league from ten to eight organizations. The new two-year agreements reshape the competitive landscape ahead of the next VCT cycle, creating eight fewer partnered seats across the four international leagues.

Each of the four leagues-Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China-will now field eight partner teams. This consolidation follows the conclusion of the first partnership cycle, which ended with Champions Shanghai. Riot said: "The deals run for two years."

Regional Partner Lists

The confirmed partner teams for each VCT region include several new entries and notable returnees. The lists solidify the core competitors for the next two seasons.

Announcements were staggered. KRÜ Esports, LOUD, and Sentinels were confirmed in the Americas on October 18, followed by G2 Esports, LEVIATÁN, and 100 Thieves a day later. NRG retains its spot a year after winning the world championship, with MIBR completing the region's eight teams. In EMEA, Team Heretics and BBL Esports were announced first. Team Vitality and Team Liquid keep their places after playing at Champions Shanghai, while FUT Esports earned renewal with a Masters Toronto appearance and Champions qualification. Fnatic stays after a rocky 2026, and French organisations Gentle Mates and Karmine Corp remain.

The Pacific league sees the debut of GAM Esports and the return of Crazy Raccoon to Valorant for the first time since 2021. China's lineup features Weibo Gaming as the only new name among its eight partners.

Notable Rejections and Departures

Several prominent organizations were rejected from the partner system or announced their exit. The reduction from 40 to 32 partner teams created intense competition for the limited slots.

Cloud9, Movistar KOI, DRX, Nongshim RedForce, and Global Esports were all rejected. Cloud9 has been in Valorant since 2021. The organization has said it intends to stay in VALORANT through the open path. Movistar KOI was turned down despite being a prominent League of Legends team playing at Worlds 2026. In the Pacific league, the rejection of Korean teams DRX and Nongshim RedForce leaves T1 and Gen.G as Korea's only partners.

Global Esports, an Indian organization and former VCT Pacific partner, is shutting down its esports operations and releasing its whole roster. Players UdoTan and xavi8k became free agents.

In EMEA, NAVI loses partner status after four years but will stay involved through its Natus Vincere Junior project. GIANTX hasn't qualified for an international event since Champions Paris. Barça eSports was turned down after being a regular in tier two, and Eintracht Frankfurt will now go through open qualifiers.

Americas saw Cloud9, FlyQuest, and Shopify Rebellion cut. ENVY, whose owner and CEO Hastr0 has made a commitment to stay, returned to Valorant last year by signing the RANKERS roster. Shopify Rebellion and M80, both Challengers teams, have not stated whether they will continue.

Structural Shifts and Future Pathways

The partner system itself is undergoing changes. Partners will receive a guaranteed base payment, a performance bonus, and a digital goods revenue share. They also get an automatic invitation to the regional Kickoff event. However, partners no longer receive a guaranteed seat in a regional league. The old Stage 1 and Stage 2 format is being replaced by two VCT Cups per region with open qualifiers.

Kickoff events in Americas, EMEA, and Pacific will feature 12 teams: the eight partners plus four teams from open qualifiers. China's Kickoff will include its eight partners, two visitor teams, and two open qualifier teams. Rejected organizations can still compete through these open qualifier routes for international events. Non-partners get paid for qualifying and can, in extraordinary cases, earn more than partnered teams.

The Pacific league's structure presents a specific hurdle. Its partner teams are not based in Oceania, requiring New Zealand or Australian squads to qualify via a Last Chance Qualifier. The reduction in partner seats, combined with the recent closure of Evil Geniuses, will increase competition for established players. This creates more free agent opportunities as rosters reshuffle. The partner decisions were announced after LOUD's VALORANT Champions 2023 win on October 19 and before Evil Geniuses' closure on November 2. Riot has now locked in 32 organizations for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.