VALORANT Champions
VALORANT Champions Tips & Streams
Scheduled to take place in the Fall, VALORANT Champions is the culmination of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) season and the biggest VALORANT esports event of the season.
Equivalent to a world championship, VALORANT Champions is one of the most-watched esports tournaments of the year and a massive hit in the online betting community.
Esports fans can bet on VALORANT Champions through a wide range of traditional and crypto betting sites, including Stake, which comes with a welcome bonus that you can claim with Stake promo code NEWBONUS.
What is VALORANT Champions?
VALORANT Champions is the world championship esports tournament and the culminating event of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). Organised by Riot Games, the VALORANT Champions features the top teams on the VCT circuit, who battle it out for the lion's share of a multi-million dollar prize pool and the coveted trophy.
As the most prestigious VALORANT esports tournament of the year, VALORANT Champions is also one of the most watched and bet-on competitions in the world, rivalling the LoL World Championship, Dota 2 The International, and other significant events.
Since its inception in 2021, the VALORANT Champions tour has changed its format and upped the prize pool, which currently sits at over $2,000,000.
VALORANT Champions Teams
VALORANT Champions is the culmination of the VCT season, and it serves as a world championship tournament for the VALORANT esports scene. It features 16 teams from all four regions, including the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China.
Each region receives four slots reserved for the top-performing teams of the year - the teams who secured the most VCT points throughout the three VCT splits and VALORANT Masters events.
While there are no qualifiers for VALORANT Masters, the top two teams from VCT Stage 2 do receive tickets for the event. The remaining two get allocated to the teams with the most VCT Points.
Until 2024, the top three teams from VCT Stage 2 were automatically invited to the VALORANT Champions. As of 2025, this has changed, with just the top two securing the invites.
VALORANT Champions Prize Pool
The inaugural and the 2022 iteration of VALORANT Champions offered a $1,000,000 prize pool, which has since been increased to $2,250,000.
| Year | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,000,000 |
| 2022 | $1,000,000 |
| 2023 | $2,250,000 |
| 2024 | $2,250,000 |
| 2025 | $2,250,000 |
VALORANT Champions Format
The VALORANT Champions format has changed a bit over the years, more recently in 2025 when Riot decided to change how invites work. Before 2025, the top three teams from VCT Stage 2 received direct invites to the tournament, with the final spot being filled by a team that accumulated the most VCT Points.
Starting in 2025, only the top two teams from the final split secure direct invites, and the remaining two slots get filled by the squads with the most VCT Points.
Another notable change came in 2023 with the introduction of China as a VCT region.
VALORANT Champions played out in two stages: the group stage and the playoffs.
All 16 VALORANT teams (four per region) start their VALORANT Champions campaign in the group stage, where they're seeded into four double-elimination format groups. All group stage games are played as best-of-three (BO3), with the top two teams from each group advancing to the playoffs.
The playoffs use a double-elimination bracket, with the grand finals and lower bracket finals played as best-of-five (BO5) matches, and the remaining games played as best-of-three (BO3) matches.
Group Stage
- 16 VALORANT esports teams
- Four double-elimination groups
- All matches are best-of-three (BO3)
- The top two teams per group advance to the playoffs
Playoffs
- Eight VALORANT teams
- Double-elimination bracket
- Grand final is best-of-five (BO5)
- All other games are best-of-three (BO3)
VALORANT Champions Past Champions
| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Acend |
| 2022 | LOUD |
| 2023 | Evil Geniuses |
| 2024 | EDward Gaming |
| 2025 | TBD |
The Best VALORANT Champions Betting Sites
VALORANT Champions is the most prestigious esports tournament of the VALORANT esports season, watched by millions of fans across the globe. As one of the most popular events of the year, VALORANT Champions is also a huge hit in the online betting community, and there is a wide range of betting sites that will offer esports markets for it.
That includes numerous traditional bookmakers and a good selection of crypto betting sites, such as Stake. There, VALORANT fans can find competitive betting odds, good market coverage, and a wide range of promotions – including a welcome bonus with the Stake promo code NEWBONUS.
Bookmakers typically open VALORANT Champions markets in the weeks leading to the event, including outright betting markets and individual match markets. This allows bettors to place bets on the outright winner, "to reach final" markets, head-to-head markets, and place wagers on individual games with moneyline, handicaps, totals, propositions, and other bet types.
Where to Watch VALORANT Champions?
Esports fans can find official VALORANT Champions live streams via the most popular streaming platforms, including Twitch and YouTube. Alternatively, punters can watch the games via live streaming services offered by the top betting sites in 1xBet, PickleBet, and Stake.
The bookmakers broadcast official live streams on their in-play section, where you can find in-play markets to place bets while you follow the action.
