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Riot Games announced Manila will host the inaugural VCT Pacific Cup in April 2027. The 2027 season features over 50 tournaments globally, with EMEA Kickoff Qualifiers beginning in November 2026.
Riot Games has announced that Manila, Philippines, will host the inaugural Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific Cup from April 29 to May 23, 2027. The event is part of the revamped VCT 2027 season, which Riot Games describes as "the biggest tour we’ve ever put together," spanning 15 cities worldwide.
The 2027 season shifts to a "tournament-first" structure, replacing long stretches of league play with high-stakes competition. According to Valorant Esports, the season will feature "more than 50 tournaments" across Opens, Kickoff, Cups, Masters, and Champions. This format aims to create "more entry points and more meaningful matches for teams around the world."
Partner teams remain part of the ecosystem, but advancement after Kickoff is determined by performance. Open teams will have opportunities to enter the VCT and compete against established organizations. The season begins with Kickoff Qualifiers in November 2026.
The announcement of the Manila Cup coincides with significant structural changes for Philippine teams. Beginning in 2027, VCT Pacific will be divided into dedicated regional competitions for South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The Philippines has been grouped into the Pacific Wild Card region alongside Malaysia, Singapore, and the rest of Southeast Asia.
Philstar.com reports that this change means "Filipino organizations will no longer have a standalone regional pathway and must compete through the broader Wild Card system to advance further into the VCT ecosystem." South Asia and Oceania will also qualify through this same route. While Riot Games emphasizes an open qualification system, the new structure requires Filipino teams to navigate a more crowded path to reach events like Masters and Champions.
In the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, Kickoff Qualifiers will begin in November 2026. According to a press release from Games Press, teams in Europe, Türkiye, and MENA will have two chances to advance through Kickoff Qualifier 1 and Kickoff Qualifier 2.
The EMEA Kickoff will feature 12 teams: eight partner teams and four teams that earn their place through regional qualification. The distribution is two teams from Europe, one from Türkiye, and one from MENA. Non-partner teams that qualify for Kickoff or a Cup will receive $100,000 in financial support, according to the EMEA-specific announcement. Further financial support is available for teams qualifying for Masters ($200,000) and Champions ($400,000).
The move to Manila marks a significant expansion of the VCT's physical footprint, bringing a premier regional event to one of Valorant's strongest markets. For the competitive scene, the shift to a tournament-first model and the consolidation of Southeast Asian regions into a Wild Card system alters the qualification landscape, requiring teams to perform consistently across a broader, more competitive field to reach international stages.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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