VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 Starts September 24: Schedule, Groups and Paper Rex's Opener
VALORANT Champions 2026 starts on Thursday, September 24 in Shanghai and wraps up with the Grand Final on Sunday, October 18. Sixteen teams from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China are playing for the world title and a US$2,250,000 prize pool. The very first match is a big one for Southeast Asian fans: Paper Rex, home of Indonesia’s Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto, opens the event against Team Liquid. The schedule and format below follow the official VALORANT Esports announcement.
Dates and Venues
- Group Stage: September 24 to October 4 at the Jing’an Sports Center. No matches on September 28.
- Playoffs: October 7 to 11 at the Jing’an Sports Center, followed by a break from October 12 to 15.
- Finals: October 16 (upper final and lower semifinal), October 17 (lower final) and October 18 (Grand Final) at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong.
The first match of each day is scheduled for 16:00 WIB, which is 17:00 in Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The second match follows about three hours later. Official broadcasts are on Twitch and the VALORANT Esports YouTube channel.
Format: Lose Twice and You’re Out
- Group Stage: four groups, each with one team from every region. Double elimination, every series best of three. Two wins and you advance, two losses and you’re out. The top two of each group (eight teams in total) reach the playoffs.
- Playoffs: double elimination, best of three, with a best-of-five Grand Final.
Groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | 100 Thieves, T1, JD Gaming, FUT Esports |
| B | Global Esports, Team Vitality, LOUD, EDward Gaming |
| C | TYLOO, G2 Esports, Team Liquid, Paper Rex |
| D | Karmine Corp, Xi Lai Gaming, Nongshim RedForce, NRG |
Pacific is represented by Global Esports (first seed), Nongshim RedForce, Paper Rex and T1. NRG arrive as the defending champions.
Opening Matches
| Date | Match 1 (16:00 WIB / 17:00 SGT) | Match 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 24 | Team Liquid vs Paper Rex (Group C) | TYLOO vs G2 Esports (Group C) |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Nongshim RedForce vs NRG (Group D) | Karmine Corp vs Xi Lai Gaming (Group D) |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Global Esports vs Team Vitality (Group B) | LOUD vs EDward Gaming (Group B) |
| Sun, Sep 27 | 100 Thieves vs T1 (Group A) | JD Gaming vs FUT Esports (Group A) |
After the break on September 28, the winners’ and elimination matches run from September 29 to October 4, with the pairings decided by the opening results.
Paper Rex and f0rsakeN
Paper Rex bring invy, Jinggg, f0rsakeN, d4v41 and something. Ahead of the event, four of their players made the Top 20 players of Champions 2026 list voted by a Sheep Esports panel (summary by Ligagame): something ranked 1st, f0rsakeN 5th with 207 points, Jinggg 12th and d4v41 18th. No other team placed four players on that list.
f0rsakeN has been with Paper Rex since 2021, and this season he became the first player to use every VALORANT agent in competitive play. Group C is no easy draw: EMEA’s Team Liquid in the opener, then TYLOO or G2 waiting in the winners’ or elimination match.
In-Game Rewards: Drops, Shotcall and Pick’Ems
Watching and predicting can earn free items. The official list from Riot:
| Reward | How to get it |
|---|---|
| ”Prepared” title | Watch at least 30 minutes during the Group Stage and Playoffs (Drops) |
| “Stamp of Approval” spray | Watch at least 30 minutes during the Grand Final (Drops) |
| “The Catch” title | 50 Shotcall points (cumulative over the event) |
| “Crab Mentality” buddy | 300 Shotcall points |
| ”Frag or Die Trophy” player card | Finish in the top 3% of Shotcall on any map |
| ”Calculated” title | Complete your Pick’Ems |
| ”Stone of Heaven” buddy | Top 50% of Pick’Ems |
| ”Master: Stone of Heaven” buddy | Top 20% of Pick’Ems |
| ”100%” title | Perfect Pick’Ems |
Shotcall is a Twitch extension where you predict maps, rounds and clutch moments live. Link your Riot account to Twitch or YouTube before you start watching so your Drops are counted.
Get Your VP Ready for the Champions Bundle
As in past years, the Champions bundle usually lands in the store alongside the tournament. At the time of writing Riot has not announced its official price, so we are not quoting leaked numbers. If you plan to buy it, top up VP at ItemGame with your Riot ID, no login needed. Pick the store for the country your Riot account is registered in:
- Indonesia: VALORANT VP top up
- Malaysia: VALORANT MY top up
- Philippines: VALORANT PH top up
Want to see how these teams got here? Read our VCT Masters Santiago 2026 results, and brush up before your own ranked games with the VALORANT economy management guide.
FAQ
When do VALORANT Champions 2026 start and end? September 24 to October 18, 2026, in Shanghai.
What time are the matches in WIB and SGT? The first match each day starts at 16:00 WIB (17:00 SGT/MYT/PHT). The second follows about three hours later.
When do Paper Rex play? They open Group C against Team Liquid on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 16:00 WIB (17:00 SGT).
How big is the prize pool? US$2,250,000.
