VALORANT Champions 2026 Shanghai: 16 Teams Revealed and Group Draw Results

VALORANT Champions 2026, the world championship of the tactical shooter VALORANT organized by Riot Games, is set to take place in Shanghai, China later this year. Recently, the organizers revealed the 16 participating teams and the group draw results. This is the pinnacle event of the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) system, drawing global attention from the esports community. According to in-depth analysis, the tournament features 4 slots per region: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. Notably, the allocation is completely balanced, with no minor region or wildcard berths. Each region has 4 teams, determined by Stage 2 results and Championship Points. The group draw results are as follows: Group A: 100 Thieves (Americas), FUT Esports (EMEA), T1 (Pacific), JD Gaming (China). Group B: LOUD (Americas), Team Vitality (EMEA), Global Esports (Pacific), EDward Gaming (China). Group C: G2 (Americas), Team Liquid (EMEA), Paper Rex (Pacific), TYLOO (China). Group D: NRG (Americas), Karmine Corp (EMEA), Nongshim RedForce (Pacific), Xi Lai Gaming (China). The Chinese representatives JDG, EDG, TYLOO, and Xi Lai Gaming are placed in different groups, promising exciting matchups. JDG, as China Stage 2 champions, are noted for their firepower. EDG has star power and international experience. TYLOO enjoys a home-region edge. Xi Lai Gaming is seen as a potential upset-maker. The format features group stage with top two from each group advancing to a double-elimination playoff. All playoff matches are BO3 except the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final which are BO5. This balances competitiveness and upset potential. Group A sees 100 Thieves fresh off an EWC 2026 win, T1 with deep roster experience, JDG with firepower, and FUT with strength. Group B features LOUD's international pedigree, EDG's star power, Vitality as a dangerous fourth seed from EMEA, and Global Esports as Pacific Stage 2 winners. Group C includes G2, Liquid, Paper Rex, and TYLOO; Paper Rex can end any team's run on a good day. Group D is a potential group of death with NRG, KC, and NS all title contenders, plus Xi Lai as a wildcard. Notably, Riot announced VCT 2027 Open Qualifiers starting November 2026, signaling a commitment to an open pathway. However, the analysis highlights a lack of patch, agent, and map pool information in the official announcement. These are crucial for meta prediction and team evaluation. Fans eagerly await these details. With top contenders like 100 Thieves, Paper Rex, Karmine Corp, NRG, and ambitious Chinese teams, the tournament promises fierce competition. Can the Chinese teams leverage home advantage, or will Americas and EMEA assert dominance? The answers will unfold in Shanghai.