VALORANT Champions 2026 Tournament Preview & Betting Tips

The final event of the VALORANT Champions Tour season is just around the corner, bringing together the best teams in the world to duke it out for the ultimate glory.

VALORANT Champions 2026 is here, and this year it heads to Shanghai, China, from September 24 to October 18 for the final showdown of the season.

Played across Jing’an Sports Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arena, VALORANT Champions will welcome 16 of the world’s best VALORANT teams from all major regions to compete for the world championship trophy and the biggest slice of the US$2,250,000 prize pool.

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The tournament is divided into two stages, starting with a group stage, where all 16 teams will be divided into four double-elimination groups of four.

All group-stage matches will be played as best-of-three, with the top two teams per group securing invites to the playoffs.

The VALORANT Champions playoffs will welcome the final remaining eight teams, who will be seeded into a double-elimination bracket and face off in a series of best-of-three games, up until the lower bracket final, which will be, like the grand final, played as best-of-five.

Welcoming only the best of the best the VALORANT esports world has to offer, VALORANT Champions is a tournament no esports fan should miss, and an event that promises to produce unforgettable moments and many betting opportunities to explore.

Esportbet brings you a free VALORANT Champions 2026 tournament betting preview, with all event details, as well as expert outright picks with odds from the top-rated esports bookmakers.

VALORANT Champions 2026 outright odds

• 100 Thieves – +300
• Paper Rex – +450
• Nongshim RedForce – +500
• Karmine Corp – +550
• NRG – +700
• G2 Esports – +1100
• LOUD – +1100
• T1 – +1600
• Team Vitality – +1700
• Global Esports – +2500
• Team Liquid – +2500
• FUT Esports – +2500
• EDward Gaming – +2500
• TYLOO – +6600
• JD Gaming – +15000
• XLG Esports – +15000

VALORANT Champions 2026 teams to watch

100 Thieves

100 Thieves are the main favourites to win VALORANT Champions 2026, and for all the right reasons.

After a slow start to the season, ending VCT Americas Kickoff and Stage 1 in fifth and fourth place, respectively, 100 Thieves turned on their jets and won the Esports World Cup and Stage 2.

Their run since the end of Stage 1 has been incredible, as 100 Thieves have dropped just one game over 15 played, with half of the 14 victories ending in sweeps.

Hailing from a very competitive region, and with international results to prove they can perform on the biggest stages, 100 Thieves are very difficult to doubt.

Paper Rex

Paper Rex were one of the best VALORANT teams early into the season.

They placed third at VCT Pacific Kickoff, second in VALORANT Masters Santiago, won Pacific Stage 1, and secured another silver medal at Masters London.

Since June, however, things have taken a turn for the worse for Paper Rex, who crashed out of the Esports World Cup in 13th-16th place, and were highly disappointing in VCT Pacific Stage 2, finishing in fifth-sixth place.

Considering what Paper Rex showed early into the year, they deserve some respect, and there is a world where they turn on their jets.

On the other hand, Paper Rex’s performances over the last two months do not inspire much confidence.

Karmine Corp

Karmine Corp had a very rough start to the season.

They exited VCT EMEA Kickoff in ninth-10th place, VALORANT EMEA Clash in ninth-12th, and VCT EMEA Stage 1 in 11th-12th.

After showing some signs of life in the Esports World Cup qualifiers, Karmine Corp suffered another humiliating tournament exit in France, finishing ninth-12th at the EWC with a 1-2 record in Group B.

However, as bad as Karmine Corp were earlier in the season, they looked like an entirely different beast in VCT EMEA Stage 2, which they won with a near-perfect 7-1 record, and just one upset loss against Fnatic.

Recent performances carry a lot more weight as KC’s showings in Stage 2 prove they are comfortable in the current meta.

But given their up-and-down run this season, it is fair to question whether Karmine Corp will turn back into a pumpkin in China.

Nongshim RedForce

Nongshim RedForce have found some success this season, enough to deserve attention ahead of VALORANT Champions.

They won VCT Pacific Stage 1 and Masters Santiago, then cooled down for Stage 1 in seventh-eighth, but stepped it up at the Esports World Cup and VCT Pacific Stage 2, finishing the two events in third and second place, respectively.

The recent resurgence is a promising sign, and Nongshim RedForce have proven before that they can deliver on international stages.

Global Esports

Global Esports won VCT Pacific Stage 2, adding to their third-place finish in Stage 1 as only two notable accomplishments this season.

Their two appearances in international events, at VALORANT Masters London and the Esports World Cup, both ended in disappointing placements: ninth-10th and 13th-16th, respectively.

This does not inspire much confidence that Global Esports can deliver at VALORANT Champions; however, they have looked very strong in Stage 2, showing the ability to deliver in clutch moments.

One weakness Global Esports have to address is their flexibility with compositions, which is something other teams could take advantage of.

NRG

NRG are a bit of an enigma ahead of VALORANT Champions 2026.

This is a team who have potential to shock the world, but have yet to prove they have the tools to make the final push for big trophies.

Since the start of the season, NRG have placed third across all three VCT Americas stages, adding a bronze medal at VALORANT Masters Santiago and a runner-up finish at the Esports World Cup.

The quality to challenge the world’s best is there, but NRG have also shown some cracks, namely in their map pool, which does not appear to be good enough to make a splash in China.

While NRG can fix some of their issues, they, like other VCT Americas teams, have had the least amount of time to prepare for VALORANT Champions.

LOUD

LOUD have had quite a resurgence in the final stretch of the season, securing a silver medal from VCT Americas Stage 2, after a closely fought 2-3 loss against 100 Thieves in the grand final.

It was a promising stage for LOUD, who did not make much noise earlier in the year, placing 11th-12th in Americas Kickoff and seventh-eighth in Stage 1.

A lot of their improvement is thanks to the expanded agent pool, as LOUD have shown more flexibility with their strategies.

With Lucca “lukxo” Travaioli playing the way he has been playing, LOUD look more than ready to shake up the balance of power in China, and potentially make a much deeper run than anyone expects of them.

FUT Esports

FUT Esports have not won a single event this season, but that does not make them any less of a threat to make a deep run at VALORANT Champions.

FUT have been one of the best EMEA teams of the season, securing two bronze medals from VCT EMEA Stage 1 and 2.

Moreover, they did not look too shabby in their sole appearance on the international stage, reaching the lower bracket quarterfinals of Masters London.

Hailing from VCT EMEA, FUT Esports have experience facing strong teams and have proven they can challenge the world’s elite.

But it remains to be seen whether they can push further and find success on the big stage.

VALORANT Champions 2026 predictions

Outright bet – 100 Thieves to win

100 Thieves are billed as the team to beat in this year’s VALORANT Champions, and it is very hard to find a reason to go against that logic.

They have been one of the best-performing teams of the year, and while 100T had a slow start and consequently missed out on both Masters events, they have produced promising results.

Notably, 100 Thieves won the Esports World Cup without any issues, and they looked just as dominant in VCT Americas Stage 2, producing a 14-1 record since May.

There is nothing to suggest 100 Thieves cannot win the entire event, as they succeeded against the same level of opposition just two months ago in France.

Outsider bet – LOUD to reach final

LOUD have not had the best season, but they have shown significant improvement in VCT Americas Stage 2.

After struggling in many areas, LOUD looked like an entirely different beast in the final stage of the year, with a deeper map and agent pool, and a more structured approach to their games.

They are also the only team to have seriously challenged 100 Thieves, and it is fair to say that LOUD field one of the current best players in the world, Lucca “lukxo” Travaioli.

Things are looking up for LOUD, and while they still have a lot to prove, a run to the big stage is not as unlikely as the latest odds might suggest.