Summary
- VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff tournaments runs from January 15 to February 15, 2026, at Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles
- Features 12 top teams competing for qualification spots to Masters Santiago with unique triple-elimination bracket format and Skirmish side selection.
The VALORANT competitive community is alive with the beginning of VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff! It is the first major competitive event of the year for American teams that runs until February 15, 2026. This tournament will also set the stage for the upcoming Masters Santiago event on February 28.
Tournament Format and Structure
A thrilling tournament took place for the Americas Kickoff as it introduced an innovative triple-elimination bracket system. It departs from the usual double-elimination formats seen in many esports events. With this new format, teams will have more opportunities to recover from losses while maintaining the competition.
Throughout the tournament, squads will play in a best-of-three format until the bracketing stage. Only in the Upper Bracket Final, Middle Bracket Final, and Lower Bracket Final they will play a best-of-five series. Those who previously qualified for Champions Paris gained an advantage as they played directly into round 2 of the Upper Bracket.
It is to reward their past achievements while creating intriguing dynamics in the opening rounds. Also, they are implementing a Skirmish side selection process to replace the coin toss process. Before the match begins, the representative player of each team will face off in a 1v1 deathmatch in Skirmish mode.
During this match, the first player to reach 5 rounds wins with only weapons earns the first map choice. This adds challenge and may influence match outcomes even before the actual competition begins.
Participating Teams and Regional Representation
There are 12 participating teams in VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff, including 10 invited organizations and 2 qualifiers from Ascension 2025. Among those competing are the elite teams in Americas region such as:
- 100Thieves
- Cloud9
- Evil Geniuses
- FURIA
- KRÜ Esports
- Leviatán
- LOUD
- MIBR
- NRG
- Sentinels
- ENVY (Qualifier from Ascension 2025)
- G2 Esports (Qualifier from Ascension 2025)
Prize Pool and Qualification Opportunities
Aside from the prize money, winning teams will also get the chance to enter the upcoming Masters Santiago. Only those who finish in the top three will secure direct invitations to the international Masters event. This makes the competition crucial for teams seeking their first world tournament this year.
Moreover, teams earn Americas Points depending on their final placement. Here is the complete point system for VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff tournament:
|
Placement |
Prize |
|
1st |
4 + Qualification to VCT 2026 Masters Santiago |
|
2nd |
3 + Qualification to VCT 2026 Masters Santiago |
|
3rd |
2 + Qualification to VCT 2026 Masters Santiago |
|
4th |
1 |
Schedule and Viewing Information
The competition sets off this January 15, 2026 with Upper Bracket Round 1 matches. Opening the tournament is ENVY against Evil Geniuses followed by LOUD against Cloud9. On the same day, KRÜ Esports also faced FURIA alongside 100 Thieves versus Leviatán.
Expect intense matches between top teams until February 15, 2026. Good thing, you won’t need to worry about missing the action as you have multiple broadcast options. You may watch through Riot Games official platform channels including Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.
Conclusion
So, which teams are you rooting for in the VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff? This tournament serves as the first competitive event for the VALORANT esports community, particularly the Americas region. You’ll get a glimpse of their competitive performance through this as they seek qualification spots to Masters Santiago.
Writer’s Recommendation:
Did you enjoy reading through this article? Here are more gaming articles that you might be interested in!
