VALORANT Champions 2026
Late 2026 (to be confirmed) · To be confirmed
📖 Origin & History
VALORANT was released by Riot Games in June 2020, combining precise gunplay from games like Counter-Strike with character abilities inspired by Overwatch. Competitive play exploded, and Riot quickly constructed the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) — a season-long global qualification system — culminating in an annual world championship.
The first VALORANT Champions was held in December 2021 in Berlin. European team Acend defeated LOUD of Brazil in the final, watched by a peak global audience of over 1 million concurrent viewers — remarkable for a game barely 18 months old. The prestige of Champions grew rapidly.
From 2023, Riot restructured the VCT into four permanent international leagues — Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China — with only the top teams from each region earning a spot at Champions. Chinese team EDward Gaming's dominant 2024 victory was the first Chinese world title in VALORANT, a sport now firmly established on the global esports calendar.
🗓️ Key Moments in History
- 2020
VALORANT launches
foundingRiot Games releases VALORANT in June 2020; early tournaments begin immediately.
- 2021
VCT system launched
foundingThe VALORANT Champions Tour establishes the Challengers → Masters → Champions pathway.
- 2021
First VALORANT Champions — Berlin
championAcend (EMEA) defeat LOUD (Brazil) to become the first world champions.
- 2022
LOUD — Brazilian champions
championLOUD win Champions in Istanbul; Brazil claims its first VALORANT world title on a massive home crowd energy.
- 2022
Peak viewership records
recordVALORANT Champions 2022 becomes the most watched non-CS esports event in history at the time.
- 2023
International league system begins
formatAmericas, EMEA, Pacific leagues replace open qualifiers. Evil Geniuses win Champions in Los Angeles.
- 2024
EDward Gaming win
championEDward Gaming win Champions in Seoul — China's first VALORANT world title.
- 2026
Champions 2026 (TBC)
milestoneHost city and dates to be confirmed by Riot Games.
🏆 Past VALORANT Champions winners
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2024 | EDward Gaming |
| 2023 | Evil Geniuses |
| 2022 | LOUD |
| 2021 | Acend |