VALORANT Champions 2026 betting predictions and picks

This September, the best Valorant players and teams in the world head to Shanghai, China, for the Valorant Champions. This event closes out the VCT season and the V26 Tour.

100 Thieves, NS RedForce and NRG are the leading contenders to win the Valorant Champions 2026 tournament. Their recent LAN tournament performances and player form make them the strongest teams heading to Shanghai in September.

Betting is available at Stake Sportsbook on every match of the VCT Champions tournament. However, before you place your bets, read on for our expert analysis and predictions. We look at the current Valorant Agents meta, teams to watch, dark horses, and our 2026 Valorant Champions predictions.

What is the Valorant VCT Champions Tournament?

The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Champions tournament is a major Esports competition for Valorant, a tactical first-person shooter game where players control Agents who have unique abilities. Teams must work together to eliminate opponents and complete their objective.

The Champions tournament is organised by Riot Games and TJ Sports. It’s the conclusion of the VCT season, with 16 teams qualifying based on their performance in each of the 4 regional leagues.

A prize pool worth $2.25 million is available to be won, with the champions taking home $1 million.

In 2026, the Valorant Champions tournament takes place in Shanghai, China, between 24 September and 18 October. It features a group stage followed by the playoffs, both using a double-elimination format. The group stage and opening rounds of the playoffs are held at the Jung’an Sports Center. Meanwhile, the top 4 of the playoffs will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Valorant Champions history & past winners

The first season of the Valorant Champions Tour began in 2021. Riot Games launched it with 3 tiers: Challengers. Masters and Champions, with teams able to progress through the tiers based on their performance.

However, in 2023, Riot Games announced a new franchising format for the VCT. 30 teams were selected as franchises to take part in international leagues. The season was initially split into 3 international regions, each with its own international league. However, in 2024, Riot announced China would have its own regional league, taking the number of franchised teams to 40.

Most successful teams and players at Champions

No team has ever dominated the Valorant Champions across multiple years; each year has seen a different champion. Only one player, Ethan, has ever won multiple championships. He won in 2023 with Evil Geniuses and again in 2025 with NRG. This year, he’s competing for the chance to win his 3rd Champions title.

Here are the last 4 VCT Champions winners and MVPs:

• 2025 VCT Champions winners: NRG

• 2025 MVP award: brawk

• 2024 VCT Champions winners: EDward Gaming

• 2024 MVP award: ZmjjKK

• 2023 VCT Champions winners: Evil Geniuses

• 2023 MVP award: Demon1

• 2022 VCT Champions winners: LOUD

• 2022 MVP award: Aspas

• 2021 VCT Champions winners: Acend

• 2021 MVP award: zeek

Current Valorant Champions Meta

When making your Valorant Champions 2026 predictions, consider the current game meta. This term refers to the most effective strategies, including map picks and Agent composition. In Valorant, each team can pick and ban from the map roster, although Agent bans aren’t possible.

Valorant Champions map roster and meta

The map veto can be almost as important as the Agent draft for team strategy. Haven, Lotus, and Split reward aggressive mobility, layered utility, and flexible entry systems. However, Ascent and Breeze favour structured defaults and information control.

Bind and Pearl, on the other hand, place a higher emphasis on controller utility, rotations, and creative site executions. The strongest teams adapt their Agent compositions to each map. A deep map pool and strategic vetoes can ultimately decide a series.

Valorant Champions agent meta

Flexibility, layered utility, and map-specific composition matter more in the current meta than a single, dominant 5-Agent setup. Yoru is possibly set to be one of the most picked Agents. This Duelist offers exceptional mobility, deception and site-entry abilities. Viper is also highly versatile, with her wall and smokes allowing teams to control space and enable coordinated site attacks.

Meanwhile, Omen’s abilities are crucial for blocking key sightlines, and Sova can provide valuable information and initiate fights. Most teams also use agents such as Jett, Raze, Neon, and Waylay, depending on their style and map choice. Meanwhile, Killjoy and Cypher can provide key defensive and utility support.

Valorant Predictions & Players and Teams to Watch

1. 100 Thieves - As one of the most in-form teams heading into the tournament. 100 Thieves are the Valorant Champions winners betting favorites. They won the Americas Stage 2 tournament and the Valorant 2026 Esports World Cup. Cryocells is arguably their most talented player, having won the MVP award at the EWC.

2. NS RedForce - The Masters Santiago 2026 champions, NS RedForce are the first Ascension team to win an international VCT tournament. They’re the 2nd favorites to win according to the opening betting odds at Stake. Dambi was the Masters Santiago MVP, and our Valorant VCT predictions have him as a player to watch at this event.

3. NRG - Although they’re the defending champions, they’re not currently one of the top favourites to win. They qualified based on their Championship Points, but they have an experienced roster. Ethan is one of NRG’s most effective players, and his experience could make him one of the Valorant Champions top players / MVPs.

4. Paper Rex - This year, Paper Rex reached the Grand Final of Masters Santiago and Masters London. After narrowly losing 2 major tournaments, the Pacific team will look to go further this time. Their aggressive style suits something’s talents best. 

5. Karmine Corp - As Europe’s top team, they have a big chance to do well in this tournament. The EMEA region is known for aggressive Agent compositions, and their aggressive strategies may catch teams out. N4RRATE is one of the key Valorant Champions 2026 players on their roster.

Dark horses and upset picks to watch

• Global Esports - They’re the most interesting dark horse option, having just won the Pacific Stage 2 tournament. Global Esports had an impressive run, defeating NS RedForce in the regional final after initially going 2-0 down. They have a difficult group, but if they make the playoffs, their aggressive style could see them upset the odds. Watch out for Kr1stal, one of the most effective players on their roster.

• TYLOO - While they’re not rated by the oddsmakers, TYLOO are a good outside pick based on the fact that they have a home advantage. They just won China Stage 2, beating JD Gaming 3-1 in the final. Although they have a difficult group, TYLOO could still create some upsets in the group stage.

VALORANT Champions betting tips and strategy

1. Make the most of our betting guides - We’ve got detailed guides on sports betting and Esports betting, along with information on how to start betting on first-person shooters. This guide tells you everything you need to know about how these games work, the scoring and format of matches, and common FPS betting strategies.

2. Analyse map pool depth - The best teams do well over a broader range of maps, while lower-ranked teams tend to shine on just one or two maps. Make sure you check the map veto history of a team, too, to see which maps they’re weakest on. This is especially important when you’re looking at the Map winner market, as well as over/under total maps bets.

3. Recent form compared to tournament history - While form is a strong indicator of success, many teams do well in the regional tournament circuit but struggle to replicate it on the big stage. The top teams often perform well in Valorant Masters and VCT Champions year after year.

4. Look at matchup-specific edges - When making Valorant Champions picks, analyse whether there’s a specific edge. For example, does one team excel on another team’s weakest map? Does either team have a player who can neutralise the other team’s best player? Which team has the most decisive player on their roster? This is more helpful than simply comparing each team's rankings when making a match prediction.

5. Set a betting budget - Follow our responsible betting guidelines when you bet. Set a budget and stick to it, keeping your stake sizes sensible. Esports tournaments can be volatile and hard to predict, especially in group-stage matches.