VCT Stage 2 2026: Schedule, Info

The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is progressing, and VCT Stage 2 will determine which teams get spots at Champions 2026. Let’s explore everything to know about the tournaments, including schedules and how fans can watch.

Why is VCT Stage 2 Important?

VALORANT Champions is the most well-known international event in the VCT circuit. However, fans are also enthusiastic about its regional VCT stages, which bring local teams head-to-head in competition. The VCT is divided into four regions (Americas, EMEA, China, and the Pacific), and each has a year-long regional circuit.

Stage 2 is also where each region has its last few chances to qualify for VALORANT Champions. The Playoffs decide each region’s top two Champions qualifiers. In addition, they have Championship Points rewards: two remaining Champions slots go to whichever teams racked up the most across the whole season, so Stage 2 still affects placements even if an org doesn’t win. This is one of the most tense periods of the whole VCT calendar, because it has serious implications for how a team ends its season.

What Are the Best Teams in VCT 2026 Stage 2?

The VALORANT landscape is always changing, but there are a few teams that stand out as strong contenders this year. In the Americas, NRG and LOUD are both performing well and hold previous Champions titles. G2 Esports is also well-known for its discipline and powerhouse players. LEV won Masters London, and KRU are also high on the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, in EMEA, Team Vitality is popping off. They’re known for strong performances in multiple FPS titles, and also have a renowned Counter-Strike roster. Team Heretics also secured last year’s Esports World Cup trophy, and they continue to consistently play well in 2026.

Paper Rex are consistently among the Pacific region’s best performers. The team came second in Masters London and Masters Santiago, and scored first place in Pacific Stage 1. Though they tend to choke at the last second, they are fearsome opponents. T1 is another multi-game powerhouse. After winning Masters Bangkok 2025 and placing second at Pacific Kickoff, they’ve proved League of Legends isn’t the only title they excel at. Rex Regum Qeon is also on the map.

Finally, EDward Gaming is one of China’s stronger teams. They have a Champions title to boot, and although their performance was sloppy in the past year, they’ve climbed back up to their previous form. EDG grabbed the Stage 1 China prize and made it particularly far in Masters London.

What is the VCT Stage 2 Format?

VCT formats tend to be extremely similar across regions. Notably, China has an added ‘seed deciders’ portion and other slightly different factors, but everything else is pretty much identical. VCT Stage Two operates in an Upper and Lower Bracket format, so teams have multiple chances to make a comeback.

First, teams participate in a Group Stage. Here, orgs are grouped into clusters (usually of 6 each). They compete within these bands for points, climbing up the rankings with each win. At the end of the stage, the top two teams in each group climb to the Playoffs. Winners go straight to the Upper Bracket semifinals, while 2nd place gets a guaranteed Upper Bracket slot. 3rd and 4th place have preferential slots in the Play-Ins.

During the Play-Ins, 12 teams compete in best-of-3 matches. It’s a double-elimination system, and will determine who faces who in the Playoffs. The Playoffs are also double-elimination best-of-3, except for the Grand Finals matchup, which is best-of-5.

It’s important to note that the VCT is making some big format changes in 2026. Check out our guide here!

VCT Stage 2 Schedule: All Regions

Every VCT region operates with a similar format, but different exact schedules. Here’s a quick rundown of dates for the main events:

• Americas: July 16 – September 2
• EMEA: July 15 – August 30
• China: July 9 – September
• Pacific: July 16 – September 6

Overall, Stage 2 will stretch from July 9 to mid-September. Now, let’s get into the main schedule for each individual league!

Americas Stage 2

• Group Stage: July 16 – August 9
• Play-Ins: August 13 – August 23
• Playoffs: August 27 – September 6
• Grand Finals: September 6

EMEA Stage 2

• Group Stage: July 15 – August 2
• Play-Ins: August 5 – August 16
• Playoffs: August 20 – August 30
• Grand Finals: August 30

Pacific Stage 2

• Group Stage: July 16 – August 9
• Play-Ins: August 13 – August 24
• Playoffs: August 27 – September 6
• Grand Finals: September 6

China Stage 2

• Group Stage: July 9 – July 23
• Seed Deciders: July 24 – July 26
• Play-Ins: TBD
• Playoffs: TBD
• Grand Finals: TBD

All VCT 2026 Stage 2 Teams

Let’s quickly recap which teams are participating in each region. Typically, each region includes 12 teams. 10 are invited, while 2 arrive from Qualifier tournaments.

Americas

• 100 Thieves
• Cloud 9
• Evil Geniuses
• FURIA
• KRÜ Esports
• Leviatán
• LOUD
• MIBR
• NRG
• Sentinels
• G2 Esports
• ENVY

EMEA

• BBL Esports
• Fnatic
• FUT Esports
• Gentle Mates
• GIANTX
• Karmine Corp
• Natus Vincere
• Team Heretics
• Team Liquid
• Team Vitality
• PCIFIC Esports
• Eternal Fire

Pacific

• DetonatioN FM
• DRX
• FULL SENSE
• Gen.G Esports
• Global Esports
• Paper Rex
• Rex Regum Qeon
• T1
• Team Secret
• ZETA DIVISION
• VARREL
• NS RedForce

China

• All Gamers
• Bilibili Gaming
• EDward Gaming
• FunPlus Phoenix
• JD Gaming
• Nova Esports
• Titan Esports Club
• Trace Esports
• TYLOO
• Wolves Esports
• XLG Esports
• Dragon Ranger

How to Watch VCT Stage 2

VALORANT fans can watch VCT Stage 2 matchups on Riot Games’ official Twitch, twitch.tv/valorant. This main account has regional counterparts, like VALORANT EMEA and VALORANT Americas. In addition, Riot Games usually works with creators as partnered co-streamers during the event, and plenty of other influencers host watch parties.

There is also a dedicated VALORANT esports website here.