Riot Games outlined major changes and expansion plans for the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific at a media day event in Seoul on Monday, setting the tone for the league’s upcoming season.
The “2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff” media day was held at SOOP Sanam Coliseum in Mapo-gu, and was attended by league leaders and player representatives from all 12 participating teams. According to officials, the kickoff tournament will be the first official VCT Pacific event of the year, with three spots awarded to the Masters Santiago in Chile this March.
League organizers highlighted fan engagement and competition diversity as core priorities for 2026. VALORANT Esports Asia Pacific Head Shin Ji-sub and Product Lead Hong Joon-mo highlighted structural changes aimed at increasing match volume and entertainment value while maintaining the integrity of the competition.
2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff Media Day Results
One of the most notable announcements was the introduction of two VCT Pacific Roadshows this year. The Stage 1 final will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the Stage 2 final will be held in Busan, South Korea. Riot Games said the decision follows strong fan turnout at past regional events and reflects its continued commitment to localizing broadcasts, expanding co-streaming, and supporting official viewing parties across the Asia-Pacific region.
On the competitive side, players from multiple teams have cited Paper Rex and T1 as favorites to win Kickoff in 2026. Some cited Paper Rex’s stylistic compatibility with the current meta, while others pointed to T1’s roster depth and offseason form. Despite these predictions, representatives from across the league emphasized that the gap between the top contenders and the rest of the teams is narrowing.
Newly promoted teams Full Sense, Barrel and Nongshim Red Force, who earned their spots through the 2025 Ascension Tournament, also expressed confidence heading into the first VCT Pacific season. Team representatives said the extra time to prepare helped them adjust to the league’s level of play.
The kickoff will also debut an experimental format designed to add drama. A triple-elimination system gives teams an extra chance to stay in contention, and a new one-on-one “Brawl Mode” replaces the coin toss for map selection between similarly seeded teams. The 2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff begins Thursday, marking the league’s first step towards international competition this season.