Riot Games names JioBLAST for VCT 2027 South Asia qualifiers

Riot Games has partnered with JioBLAST to run the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2027 Kickoff Open Qualifiers for South Asia. JioBLAST will replace NODWIN Gaming as the organiser of the region’s open qualifying stage.

The qualifiers will give teams from South Asia a route to compete for a place at Kickoff APAC. Riot has not publicly explained why it selected JioBLAST for the 2027 competition.

JioBLAST is a joint venture between global esports tournament organiser BLAST and RISE Worldwide Limited. The companies previously worked with Riot on the VALORANT Campus Cup, a nationwide collegiate esports programme for higher education institutions in India.

In a statement, JioBLAST CEO Charlie Cowdrey described the partnership as an opportunity for emerging players to compete, demonstrate their skills and progress to the global stage. He added that the agreement extends BLAST’s relationship with Riot Games into India through JioBLAST.

Anushka Bhatnagar, publishing lead for Riot Games India and South Asia, described the VCT 2027 format as a way to make VALORANT esports more accessible to players across the region. She said teams from South Asia would compete for a place at Kickoff APAC through the open qualifiers.

Riot is changing the VCT from fixed regional leagues to open, performance-based tournaments that include more teams. The format will provide additional entry points for teams seeking to progress in VALORANT esports.

NODWIN Gaming has organised several VALORANT competitions in South Asia in recent years, including the VALORANT Challengers South Asia league, Game Changers South Asia events, open qualifiers and LAN finals. Those competitions previously provided routes to Ascension and the Pacific circuit.

Through at least 2026, NODWIN handled production, broadcasts, registration and event management for those competitions. The available information indicates that JioBLAST has taken over the VCT 2027 Kickoff Open Qualifiers. Riot has not announced the organisers of the 2027 Challengers and Game Changers South Asia competitions.

JioBLAST has also agreed to work with the Esports Foundation on India-focused coverage of the Esports World Cup 2026. Separately, it will run the Brawl Stars Challengers 2026 circuit across South and Southeast Asia under an agreement with Supercell.

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