NA qualifiers offer VCT Kickoff and Home Ground berths

North American teams will compete from Nov. 5 for a place at VCT Americas Kickoff 2027 in São Paulo, Brazil. The qualifier champion will receive North America’s direct berth, while the runner-up will advance to the Americas Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). Both finalists will qualify for the Red Bull Home Ground World Final 2026 in Los Angeles.

The competition will begin with two open qualifiers. Open Qualifier 1 will run from Nov. 5 to 8, followed by Open Qualifier 2 from Nov. 12 to 15. Both will use single-elimination brackets with best-of-three matches. At least four teams from each qualifier will reach the 16-team playoff event.

Riot Games will invite additional teams to complete the playoff field. Potential invitees include 2026 VCT Americas teams that do not retain partner status, along with leading teams from Challengers and Game Changers. Riot has not announced the final number of invitations.

The playoff event will start with a Swiss stage from Nov. 20 to 22. Teams must win two matches to advance, with eight teams moving to a double-elimination bracket scheduled for Dec. 1 to 6. The bracket winner will qualify directly for VCT Americas Kickoff 2027. The runner-up will advance to the Americas LCQ.

The Americas LCQ will take place in São Paulo on Dec. 17 and 18. The second-place teams from North America, Brazil and Latin America will play a best-of-three round robin on Dec. 17. The top two teams will meet in a best-of-five final on Dec. 18. The winner will receive the fourth and final open-qualification spot at VCT Americas Kickoff 2027.

The Red Bull Home Ground World Final will run from Dec. 10 to 13 in Los Angeles. Its group stage is scheduled for Dec. 10 and 11 at WePlay Studios. The bracket stage and final will take place at the Shrine Auditorium on Dec. 12 and 13.

Registration for the first North American open qualifier will open on Oct. 19 at noon Pacific time and close on Oct. 30 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Registration for the second qualifier will open on Oct. 26 at noon Pacific time and close on Nov. 8 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. The first qualifier will use Battlefy for registration.

Players must be at least 17 years old and have reached Ascendant rank or higher within the previous six months. Teams that advance may need to travel to Los Angeles or São Paulo and must have the required travel documents and visas.

The official broadcast will begin with the qualifier playoffs rather than the open brackets. Matches will be available on the VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube channels. Teams that qualify for VCT Americas Kickoff will receive a $100,000 qualification payment separate from prize money.

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