Riot Games has said that any independent team in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) who qualifies for major events will receive fixed cash payments, with the plans to take effect for the 2027-28 season. A team that hits every stage can collect up to $1.1 million, separate from tournament prize money, with the idea being that the open path will be more realistic for smaller, grassroots organizations.
The change arrives as Riot cuts the number of partner teams from 10 to eight per region, leaving 32 partners worldwide for 2027. In Pacific, new partners were welcomed on X by @RiotJaker, who wrote, “A huge congratulations to all our new VCT Pacific partner teams! I’m incredibly excited for the next chapter we will build together.”
A huge congratulations to all our new VCT Pacific partner teams! I’m incredibly excited for the next chapter we will build together.
This was an incredibly competitive selection process, and the decisions were anything but easy. We chatted with so many outstanding organizations, each bringing their own strengths to the table.
Ultimately, our decisions came down to what each team could uniquely bring to VCT Pacific, and how they would complement one another as a group. Not being selected doesn’t mean a team wasn’t deserving or capable of being a great partner. We simply had some very difficult choices to make.
A special thank you to all the teams that have been part of VCT Pacific over the past four years. You’ve helped shape what this league is today. Each of you has left your mark on the history of the VCT in this region. Regardless of partnership status, that legacy is yours, and it won’t be forgotten.— Jake Sin (@RiotJaker) October 21, 2026
What non-partner teams get paid for
The payments scale with how deep a team goes. They sit on top of the regular prize pool, which totals more than $6 million worldwide.
| Milestone | Payment |
|---|---|
| Qualify for Kickoff, Cup 1, or Cup 2 | $100,000 |
| Qualify for a Masters event (two in a typical year) | $200,000 |
| Qualify for Champions | $400,000 |
| Roster reaches Game Changers Championship (bonus) | $100,000 |
The $1.1 million ceiling is three $100,000 payments, two $200,000 payments, and the $400,000 Champions check … and this isn’t even including the Game Changers bonus.
Partner teams, though, will receive an annual base payment from Riot for keeping their league slot, running their operations, and helping grow the league, as opposed to milestone money.. Exactly how much they’ll get hasn’t been confirmed by Riot.
Why the old setup hurt
From 2023 to 2026, the lion’s share of Riot’s money went to partnered teams, meaning non-partner sides in the second-tier Challengers circuit were left scrambling to pay for players, coaches, and daily costs themselves. Prize money was welcome when it came but it was often their only income, and it was typically small at that level.
Riot made one late exception in 2026, a one-time $75,000 travel allowance. It covered travel, visas, and accommodation, but Challengers teams had to make the Stage 2 Playoffs of the top-tier International League to qualify for it. It meant that any independent team that missed the podium could theoretically lose money just by competing. Paying for qualification corrects that oversight.
What partners do get
NEW 🚨: Over 100 teams applied to become VCT partners for 2027-28.
Riot says they placed “particular emphasis on organizations that could help us build fandom and community resonance for years to come”
Competitive results were “an important part” of the evaluation, but not the whole of it
The five criteria: community growth, fandom resonance, business sustainability, operational infrastructure, competitive success
All 32 partners qualify directly for VCT Kickoff. The 2027 season starts January 14— Polymarket VALORANT (@PolymarketVAL) October 22, 2026
Esports Charts reports that partners get annual financial support and direct entry to the season-opening Kickoff. Beyond that, partnership doesn’t actually guarantee anything. Partners must qualify for the Cups, Masters, and Champions on results, the same as teams entering through Open Qualifiers.
Deals run on renewable two-year cycles. Partners can also earn from digital goods such as Team and Season Capsules and the Championship bundle.
In Pacific, the eight partners are, Full Sense, Crazy Raccoon GAM Esports, Paper Rex, Rex Regum Qeon, T1, Gen.G, and ZETA DIVISION, with Wolves a notable omission, alongside Team Secret and Global Esports. Crazy Raccoon and GAM Esports are new to the group.
Writer’s take
A partner slot closes the gap between the funded and the unfunded. A guaranteed $100,000 for a Kickoff or Cup berth is real operating money for a smaller org, and it gives the open path a floor it never had. The unknown is the base payment partners receive, which Riot hasn’t put a number on.
What’s next
Manila is set to host the first VCT Pacific Cup from April 29 to May 23, 2027, with spots at Masters Valencia on the line. It will be the first test of how partners and milestone-funded independents compete under the new system, and it comes as VALORANT’s 2027 calendar fills out.
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