Sheep Esports provided a report on Riot’s partnership framework for the VCT in 2027–2028, indicating a total of 32 organizations participating from regions including EMEA, Pacific, China, and the Americas, while noting that the live documentation was still undergoing updates.
In the report dated October 19, 2026, it was mentioned that each region is set to have eight partner organizations, reduced from the previous ten. While it included confirmed selections as well as reported exclusions, the EMEA section is still being finalized, meaning that the names published are not representative of the complete final roster.
Partnership status and competitive access
The two-year cycle combines a reduced partner pool with a format that will allow open qualifiers. The report indicates that having partnership status does not assure a position in Cups or LAN events; instead, the selected organizations will continue to benefit from baseline revenue from Riot Games and receive in-game skins.
Teams that are not partners will not necessarily exit VALORANT. The newly opened circuit presents successful teams with the opportunity to qualify for international LANs and generate revenue from Riot, presenting a shift that may influence how organizations evaluate the advantages of established partnerships in relation to investments in the broader competitive ecosystem. Previous analyses by Esports Insider have explored the dynamics between the partnered teams within the VCT and Tier 2 teams.
Names reported across the regions
The EMEA organizations that have been confirmed so far include Team Heretics, BBL Esports, and Fnatic. In the Pacific region, the report mentions Paper Rex, T1, FULL SENSE, RRQ Esports, and Crazy Raccoon; the table also indicated Bilibili Gaming.
In China, the organizations that have been reported are EDward Gaming, JD Gaming, TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming, and Weibo Gaming, with All Gamers also observed in the table. The entries from the Americas included LOUD, G2 Esports, NRG, Sentinels, MIBR, KRÜ, and LEVIATÁN.
Exclusions have been reported across all regions, including Movistar KOI, KIWOOM DRX, FunPlus Phoenix, Cloud9, FURIA, Shopify Rebellion, and M80. Additionally, Sheep Esports noted that Global Esports was among the Pacific teams not included and stated that this organization has communicated its exit from esports. The representation and team dynamics in the Pacific have been a topic of interest amid the circuit’s evolution.
Regional shifts and next updates
G2 Esports is entering the reported Americas roster after occupying a guest position since 2024. For China, XLG Esports is transitioning from a guest slot to a two-year collaboration following its success in Ascension in 2024 and participation in every international LAN since Masters Toronto 2025; Weibo Gaming is anticipated to rejoin the partnership circuit after returning to VALORANT in early 2026.
The selections and departures in China contribute to a wider regional reshuffling, where commercial partnerships no longer guarantee participation in tournaments. Sheep Esports has indicated it will update its report as more information becomes available from various sources and official team statements; particularly, the EMEA list is still underway.
