VALORANT Champions 2026 To Take Place In Shanghai

It's been announced that Shanghai, China, will be the site of Riot Games' VALORANT Champions 2026. 

The news was confirmed by multiple VALORANT news accounts, including VALORANT Leaks & News and Valorant News (ValorINTEL). 

This will be the first time Shanghai has hosted a VALORANT event since the VCT Masters in 2024. 

No venue or schedule has been confirmed or announced yet. 

Past VALORANT Championship Locations and Looking Ahead

The 2026 edition of VALORANT Champions will be the first time the world championship is held there.

Past sites for the championship include Berlin, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Seoul, and Paris from 2021 to 2025, respectively. 

The 2025 edition includes 16 teams across the VALORANT Regional Leagues. They'll compete at the Les Arènes and the Accor Arena in September and October. 

In addition to the site of the 2026 championship, we do know that the 2027 iteration will return to the Americas, but an official location hasn't been announced yet. 

VALORANT in China

“After the incredible success of Masters Shanghai 2024 with a packed Mercedes-Benz Arena, record-breaking viewership, and a city bursting with energy, we knew we had to come back,” said Riot Games.

China is a massive market for esports and games in general, making it an important location. In addition to VALORANT Champions 2026, it'll host the 2025 League of Legends World Championship across Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. 

For VALORANT Champions 2026, there will be marketing materials across the city, including on the street. 

“That event proved what we had always believed: Shanghai is not just ready, it has what it takes to host the biggest annual event in the VCT calendar… Champions 2026 will deliver the highest level of VALORANT competition while once again spotlighting the passion of VCT CN’s home crowd. These are the fans who rallied behind hometown heroes like Edward Gaming, Wolves, and other rising teams," Riot Games added. 

Recent VALORANT Player Retirements and Breaks

Before this announcement, there have been a few retirements, breaks, and hiatuses. 

FNS retired from professional play to focus on streaming. Additionally, Florescent announced a break and left Apeks. 

There's also Kyedae. She announced an indefinite hiatus, citing health conditions.