Sources: VALORANT VCT China 2027-2028 partnership teams revealed

According to sources close to Sheep Esports, the eight organizations expected to remain or become partners for the next wave of VALORANT Champions Tour China partnerships, covering the 2027-2028 seasons, are as follows:

As with the four other regions in its competitive circuit, Riot Games has announced the end of its first partnership cycle, which began in 2023 and concludes with the 2026 season. For EMEA, Americas, Pacific, and China, eight organizations will be partnered teams, down from the ten that were previously involved. In addition to this change, the VCT format will also undergo several modifications, with a revamped competitive year that is notably more open than before. Sheep Esports has already covered these changes in several articles, but it's also worth noting that Riot had left the details of how things would work in China unannounced.

Unsurprisingly, EDward Gaming, the organization that won the 2024 VALORANT World Championship, is among the partnered teams. This remains China's only international title since the current circuit was introduced. Having emerged as a rising team since its Ascension victory in 2024 and participated in every international LAN since Masters Toronto 2025, XLG Esports is also logically part of the lineup, moving from a guest slot in VCT CN to a partnered spot for two seasons. Having qualified for the recent VALORANT Champions Shanghai despite mixed performances, TYLOO and JD Gaming will also remain among Riot Games' partnered teams.

In addition to the six teams that will maintain their partnerships and XLG, which will become a partner after previously holding a guest slot, Weibo Gaming, the esports division of the famous Chinese social media platform, is also expected to secure a spot, overtaking names that have been part of the circuit for several seasons. Active in VALORANT from the game's launch in 2020 until the introduction of partnership slots in 2023, which Weibo did not secure, the organization subsequently left the scene before returning in early 2026, with mixed results. The current project notably includes Milan "Milan" de Meij as head coach, who joined last July after spending more than a year and a half with Fnatic, including 2025 and much of 2026 as the team's head coach.

With two additional organizations joining and two fewer partnership spots available compared to 2026, four VCT China organizations will therefore lose their partnered status. However, this does not necessarily mean that these clubs will leave Riot Games' FPS. With a more open circuit, they will have the opportunity to qualify for Cups and even Masters events if they manage to build a successful project, although China's format appears to differ from those of the other three major regions.

FunPlus Phoenix, Nova Esports, Titan Esports Club, and Wolves Esports will therefore no longer be partnered teams for the 2027-2028 seasons. A surprise team at Masters Toronto 2025, Wolves is probably the most prominent name among the four to miss out on the next cycle. It is also worth noting that Dragon Ranger Gaming, which held a guest slot like XLG, has not been selected either.

According to rumors circulating on Weibo (the app), having a presence in League of Legends appeared to be a prerequisite, or at least an important consideration, for Riot Games. This is no longer the case for FPX, which left the LoL scene in late 2025, or NOVA, which has been absent since 2021, while TEC and Wolves have never entered the MOBA scene. Conversely, Xi Lai recently joined China's Tier 2 League of Legends scene, which could lend credibility to this rumor, while Weibo is in LPL since 2021. However, Trace Esports and TYLOO are not currently active in LoL, so this information should still be taken with a grain of salt.