The VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 Stage 1 grand finals highlighted a clear gap in peak viewership across the three regions — excluding China, whose figures are not known. According to
Esports Charts, the Pacific final between
Paper Rex and FULL SENSE is leading the comparison. The match, won 3-0 by PRX, reached
a peak of 533,883 viewers, making it the most-watched Stage 1 final among the featured events. This result also aligns with a broader pattern for VCT Pacific, which has consistently led the Stage 1 regional comparison in
2025.
Comparing the 2026 result with previous years provides more context. In 2025, the Pacific region again finished ahead, with Gen.G Esports vs Rex Regum Qeon match peaking at 460,073 viewers, ahead of the Americas region at 390,841 and the EMEA region at 293,956.
Americas and EMEA remain behind
This time, the VCT Americas grand final between G2 Esports and Leviatán reached 295,105 peak viewers, placing it second in this comparison. While the figure remains significant for this match, which crowned the Samurai for the fourth time in a row, it still sits well below the Pacific final, with a gap of more than 230,000 viewers between the two matches.
Team Heretics lifting the VCT EMEA Stage 1 trophy. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
The VCT EMEA final between Team Heretics and Team Vitality recorded 223,254 peak viewers, finishing third among the Stage 1 finals presented. Despite featuring two major European organizations and a high-stakes match for the regional title, EMEA still trailed both Pacific and Americas, underscoring a notable difference in viewership impact across the three regions.