Gaming
esports
What you need to know about VCT Game Changers for 2026
Riot Games' VCT Game Changers has been providing women and other marginalised genders a competitive VALORANT platform for over five years – here's what you need to know about this year to keep up.
The VALORANT pro circuit has given us some incredible action over the years, and its VCT Game Changers initiative has been a large part of that action over its five-year history. Riot Games have continued to grow its platform for women and marginalised genders, and the competition has been heating up across the globe, with more and more teams taking part with a bid of making it to the Game Changers Championship.
With the upcoming VCT: Game Changers EMEA Stage 2 competition about to kick off, here's the lowdown on the bigger picture of Game Changers, and who to keep an eye out for.
01
What is VCT Game Changers?
Last year's Game Changers Championship was held in Seoul, South Korea
© Christina Oh/Riot Games
VCT Game Changers – VALORANT Champions Tour Game Changers – is the official VALORANT pro circuit for women and other marginalised genders. Teams compete in various regional circuits each year – with 2026 spanning EMEA, Pacific and the Americas – culminating in the Game Changers Championship, where the top teams from across the world battle it out to crown the world's best Game Changers team.
Now in its fifth year, VCT Game Changers has gone from strength to strength – with smaller tournaments taking place that feed into the larger regional competitions, such as Italy and Japan, feeding into EMEA and Pacific, respectively.
2025’s Game Changers Championship included teams from North America, Brazil, EMEA, Pacific, Latin America and China, with Team Liquid Brazil taking the top spot – and we expect this year's competition to be equally as diverse and groundbreaking.
02
How many VCT Game Changers events are there and how is the season broken up?
There are many highs and lows across a VCT Game Changers season
© Christina Oh/Riot Games
The short answer: many! Each VCT Game Changers region provides a path to the Game Changers Championship, but each region has differences in how it is set up. The three main regions – EMEA, Pacific and the Americas – all have distinct differences in set-up, but all give a path for teams to get to the Championship.
EMEA, for example, consists of three stages throughout the year and also has a Promotion/Relegation competition too. North America, on the other hand, has two main stages, but multiple open qualifiers and kickoff events too. Think of the major regions as the top events to keep an eye out for, with smaller regional competitions feeding into these at a later date – with opportunities for upsets.
The major regions are:
- EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa)
- Pacific (SEA, Japan, South Asia, Korea, Oceania)
- Americas (North America, Brazil, Latin America)
The following is a breakdown of the various pathways across the world for teams to get to the Game Changers Championship.
EMEA
VCT Game Changers EMEA consists of a complete, single consolidated circuit where teams from all over the region compete in a single competition, rather than individual region-specific competitions.
VCT 2026 Game Changers EMEA Stage 1
- Group Stage: January 26 - February 12, 2026
- Playoffs: February 18-22, 2026
VCT 2026 Game Changers EMEA Stage 2
- Group Stage: April 27 - May 14, 2026
- Playoffs: May 20-24, 2026
VCT 2026 Game Changers EMEA Stage 3
- To be determined
G2 Gozen's Michaela 'mimi' Lintrup has been a standout star for the team
© Michal Konkol/Riot Games
Pacific
VCT Game Changers across the Pacific consists of two Splits per region, with various open qualifier events for smaller teams to compete in.
Each region in the Pacific region will conclude after the second split, with a Regional Final taking place, where the top teams from each region will face off – and qualify for the Championship.
The Pacific region consists of:
SEA
- Split 1: April 7 - 23, 2026
- Split 2: June 16 - July 5, 2026
Japan
- Split 1: May 4 - 6, 2026
- Split 2: July 2 - 4, 2026
South Asia
- Split 1: April 15 - 28, 2026
- Split 2: To be determined
Korea
- Split 1: April 13 - May 6, 2026
- Split 2: To be determined
Oceania
- Split 1: March 27 - April 23, 2026
- Split 2: To be determined
Pacific Regional Final
- To be determined
Americas
The VCT Game Changers circuit across the Americas is split between North America, Brazil and Latin America, which is split further into North and South. The season starts off with Kickoff open qualifiers, which then lead into Kickoff competitions, before Stage 1 and Stage 2 events throughout the year.
Each individual region has a slightly different schedule, but the main goal is to get teams to the Game Changers Championship. North America, Brazil and Latin America as a whole will all send teams who qualify.
North America
- Kickoff Open Qualifier: February 4 - 9, 2026
- Kickoff: February 20 - March 1, 2026
- Stage 1: April 15 - June 5, 2026
- Stage 2 and Open Qualifiers: To be determined
Brazil
- Kickoff Open Qualifier: January 23 - 25, 2026
- Kickoff: February 2 - 17, 2026
- Stage 1 Open Qualifier: March 6 - 8, 2026
- Stage 1: March 21 - April 30, 2026
- Stage 2 and Open Qualifiers: To be determined
Latin America
North
South
Kickoff: January 30 - February 8, 2026
Kickoff: January 30 - February 8, 2026
Stage 1: February 11 - April 7, 2026
Stage 1: February 11 - April 6, 2026
Stage 2: Open Qualifier April 10 - 18, 2026
Stage 2 Open Qualifier: April 10 - 18, 2026
Promotion and Relegation: April 25, 2026
Promotion and Relegation: April 24, 2026
Stage 2 and beyond: To be determined
Stage 2 and beyond: To be determined
- Regional Final: To be determined
03
Who have been some of the past winners?
Team Liquid Brazil took last year's title in Seoul
© Moon Suwon/Riot Games
Notable winners of past Game Changers events have included the likes of G2 Gozen, Shopify Rebellion and current Championship winners, Team Liquid Brazil.
G2 Gozen were the first team to win the inaugural Game Changers Championship in 2022, following back-to-back-to-back Game Changers EMEA wins from 2021 to 2022. They then took the first two Stages of the 2023 Game Changers EMEA circuit and finished in third place in that year's Game Changers Championship. The following year saw a brilliant season for G2 Gozen, winning all three Game Changers EMEA Stages, but were knocked out of the Championship by Brazil's MIBR GC to finish in third.
Shopify Rebellion led the North American charge in 2024, winning all three series during that year's Game Changers North America circuit and taking the top spot at the Game Changers Championship. The team continued their winning ways through 2024, but were pipped to the Championship by current winners, Team Liquid Brazil.
04
Who should we keep an eye on at VCT Game Changers?
G2 Gozen have been one of EMEA's top teams
© Michal Konkol/Riot Games
Any team is worthy of your support! With Stage 2 of VCT Game Changers EMEA coming right up, it's simple to point to G2 Gozen and Karmine Corp GC as two of the bigger teams to keep an eye on, but don't count out GIANTX GC or Gentle Mates GC either, who beat out G2 Gozen to the top spot in the first Stage.
Over in North America, past champs Shopify Rebellion Gold are worth watching, but other qualified teams such as SEN Otters, FlyQuest RED, SwimTrek Blue, Ghost Gaming GC and SaD GC could also pose upsets to the invited teams.
While in Brazil, Team Liquid Brazil are the current top team to beat, having won the Kickoff earlier this year, but MIBR BR are right behind them, while Evil Geniuses GC busted through the Open Qualifier to finish third during Stage 1, meaning they too could pull off an upset in the coming weeks. There's plenty of action to sink your teeth into, and we can't wait to see how teams fare in the run-up to the Championship.
About the author
