Austin will host the 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour championship for the first time.

Background: A Global Calendar Is Announced Before the 2027 Season

Riot Games has set the dates and locations for the 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour, with more than 50 tournaments across 15 cities. The Champions event will be held in Austin for the first time.

The schedule was reported by Sheep Esports and TheSpike.gg on October 15. It covers Open Qualifiers, Kickoff, Cups, Masters and Champions. Riot’s plan includes more than $7,000,000 in prize money, while regional tournaments will be hosted across multiple cities and countries rather than concentrated in one location.

The story first appeared on Esports Insider. For teams, sponsors and broadcasters, the announcement provides a defined calendar and venue footprint well ahead of the season.

Development: Qualification Routes Take Shape From November 2026 to October 2027

The first route into the season begins in November 2026, when Open Qualifiers start and begin filling the 2027 Kickoff fields.

From January 14 to February 7, Kickoff will take place in São Paulo, Berlin, Bangkok and Hangzhou. Six partner teams across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Americas and Pacific will receive direct entry only to their respective regional Kickoff tournaments. They will then compete with teams advancing from Open Qualifiers for places at the remaining events.

Chinese partner and visitor organisations, by contrast, will receive invitations to Kickoff and Cups, within a regional structure also covered by the VALORANT Champions Tour’s China partnership arrangements.

After Kickoff, the confirmed schedule pairs regional events with international stages. Masters will run from February 20 to March 3 in Seoul. Cup 1 follows from April 29 to May 23 in Mexico City, Warsaw, Manila and Wuhan. The next Masters runs from June 5 to June 20 in Valencia.

Cup 2 is set for August 5 to August 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai. The season then ends in Austin, where Champions and the Game Changers Championship will run from September 16 to October 10. Austin will host the season-ending world championship, while the Game Changers Championship will conclude alongside it.

Latest Progress: Open Teams Receive Staged Financial Support

The calendar also creates a support path for open teams. Teams advancing from Open Qualifiers to Kickoff or a Cup will receive $100,000 for each event. Teams reaching Masters will receive $200,000, and an open team that qualifies for Champions will receive $400,000 in support. Every team competing at the Game Changers Championship will receive $100,000.

Anna Donlon, Head of VALORANT Studios, and Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports, described the Opens as a stage for emerging competitors to face established players and for local champions to advance. In comments reported by Sheep Esports, they said the Opens would put established players against lesser-known competitors, crown local heroes and allow the best teams to progress to Cups, Masters and Champions.

The support payments are designed to accompany teams through multiple stages. The source reported that an open team could earn more than $1,000,000 over a strong season.

Current Stage: The Roadmap Is Set, and November 2026 Is the Next Milestone

The 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour structure is now defined by dates, host cities, qualification routes and financial support for open teams. The immediate next milestone is the first Open Qualifiers in November 2026, which will start filling the Kickoff fields for the January and February events.

The plan links local competition with international stages: Open Qualifiers lead to Kickoff, Cups and Masters, while Champions and the Game Changers Championship close the year in Austin. The spread across 15 cities and the more than 50 tournaments give teams, sponsors and broadcasters a long-term schedule, while the support payments give open teams a clearer path from regional play to the global stage.