VALORANT returns to the Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2027 for a third straight year, with LOUD arriving as Champions 2026 winners. The move from partnered leagues to an open model removes guaranteed top-tier spots for partners, which could reshape club signings and EWC races.
Key Takeaways
- The EWC says VALORANT will be part of its 2027 lineup, making its third consecutive year.
- No confirmed EWC 2027 VALORANT dates, prize pool, format, or qualification path.
- The new Open model for VCT 2027 may slightly affect qualified teams for EWC, but the event will retain its Club Partnership model.
What is confirmed about VALORANT at EWC 2027
The Esports World Cup has confirmed the game joins its 2027 lineup for a third consecutive year. EWC returns in Summer 2027, but no dates have been confirmed yet.
The Foundation also did not confirm a venue, a prize pool figure, or how VALORANT teams will qualify.
VALORANT is the 18th title confirmed for EWC 2027, joining the following games:
| Dota 2 | Fatal Fury: CotW | MLBB (Men’s and Women’s) | Honor of Kings |
| Call of Duty | PUBG Mobile | Call of Duty: Warzone | EA SPORTS FC 27 |
| Teamfight Tactics | PUBG | CrossFire | Street Fighter 6 |
| Chess | Rocket League | Fortnite | Counter-Strike 2 |
| Trackmania |
VALORANT and the Esports World Cup
VALORANT has been a part of the EWC since 2025.
In its first year as part of the festival, Team Heretics bested Fnatic in the final for the lion’s share of the USD$1.25 million pot. In 2026, the prize pool has grown to USD$2 million, with champions 100 Thieves taking home $600K after beating NRG in the final.
How the new Open VCT model may affect EWC
For 2027, the VCT will move from regional leagues of partnered teams to a more open ecosystem with more frequent qualifiers. Partnered teams are not guaranteed spots at the higher level.
The Open model also changes how organizations sign players and teams. The esports orgs that don’t belong in the 32 Partnered teams for VCT 2027 but are part of the EWC Club Championship are incentivized to see which Open five-stacks excel in their respective qualifiers and tournaments before signing them.
This may have a butterfly effect within the Esports World Cup – out of the 32 VCT 2027 Partner teams, only 20 were part of the EWC 2026 Club Partnership Program. However, out of the 16 teams in VALORANT EWC 2026, 14 belong to the now-VCT 2027 partners. The odd ones out are Global Esports and Nongshim RedForce, both from the Pacific region.
Assuming that the format for VALORANT EWC 2027 will remain largely the same, 32 VCT partners are more than enough to cover the 16-team tournament. But there is still a non-zero chance that an amateur five-stack will perform well in the Open Qualifiers, gets picked up by an EWC Club Partner (but is not a VCT Partner), and take part in EWC 2027 under that organization’s colors.
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