Following a format that has been used since the first
VALORANT Champions, the 2026
World Championship in Shanghai will begin with a group stage, taking place from September 24 to October 4. A total of 16 teams from the four main leagues of the VCT circuit, EMEA, Pacific, China and Americas, will compete across four GSL groups of four teams. From there, the two best teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, which will begin on October 7, with the grand final scheduled for October 18.
With
this format, one team from each region is placed in each group, avoiding matchups between teams that are too familiar with one another in the opening stage. In addition to this separation, each group features one team from each seeding pot, regardless of its region. The teams will compete in double-elimination groups, with all series played as best-of-threes. Two wins would therefore secure a place in the playoffs, while two losses would mean elimination. Team Liquid and Paper Rex will kick off the action in China in Group C. You can follow the daily Group Stage results in the article.
The eight teams that qualify for the playoffs will be placed in a double-elimination bracket. The playoffs will also be played almost entirely in best-of-three (BO3) series, with only the Lower Bracket Final and the Grand Final being played as best-of-five (BO5) series. The Champions winner will also pocket $1 million, more than twice as much as the runner-up, who will receive $400,000. The team finishing on the podium will take home $250,000.
