VALORANT Game Changers Championship 2026: the teams, the format and the players to watch

As of 25 October 2026. The VALORANT Game Changers Championship 2026 is under way at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, running from 22 October to 1 November. Riot calls it the final standalone Game Changers Championship, so whoever lifts the trophy on 1 November closes a chapter for the circuit for women and marginalised genders. Upper-bracket quarter-finals are finished; the lower bracket starts today.

The format

• Ten teams, one double-elimination bracket: lose twice and you’re out.
• Every match is best-of-three, except the lower final and grand final, which are best-of-five.
• Teams from the same regional qualifier were drawn on opposite sides of the bracket, so early matches are international.
• Four teams started in upper round 1; the other six had byes into the upper quarter-finals.
• No matches on 29 October. Finals weekend runs from 30 October to 1 November: upper final on the 30th, lower final on the 31st and the grand final on Sunday 1 November.

The ten teams

Region	Team
EMEA	G2 Gozen, Gentle Mates GC, SK Nebula
Pacific	Gen.G GC, FENNEL GC
China	Nova Esports GC
Brazil	Team Liquid Brazil
Latin America	KRÜ Blaze
North America	Shopify Rebellion Gold
Americas Last Chance Qualifier	MIBR GC

Team Liquid Brazil are the defending champions: they won in Seoul in 2025, beating Shopify Rebellion Gold, who had won the two titles before that. Liquid now play with a home crowd behind them.

Results so far

Upper round 1 (22 October)

• MIBR GC 2–0 FENNEL GC
• SK Nebula 2–0 Nova Esports GC

Upper quarter-finals (23–24 October)

• Gentle Mates GC 2–0 Team Liquid Brazil
• KRÜ Blaze 2–1 Gen.G GC
• MIBR GC 2–0 G2 Gozen
• Shopify Rebellion Gold 2–0 SK Nebula

That means the defending champions are already in the lower bracket, along with G2 Gozen, Gen.G GC and SK Nebula. FENNEL and Nova are also in the lower bracket after their round 1 defeats.

Upper semi-finals (Tuesday 27 October): MIBR GC vs Gentle Mates GC, and Shopify Rebellion Gold vs KRÜ Blaze.

The lower bracket starts on 25 October. The exact pairings for each lower round depend on the draw and on results, so check the official schedule on valorantesports.com rather than relying on any bracket predictions, including ours. No lower-bracket result had been played at the time of writing.

Players and teams to watch

• Shopify Rebellion Gold – the most experienced title contenders in the field. Against SK Nebula, Noia and glowstick both finished one map with 22 kills, according to Fragster’s match report. They’ll want revenge for the 2025 final.
• MIBR GC – the last team in, through the Americas Last Chance Qualifier, and unbeaten so far after wins over FENNEL and G2 Gozen. They’re the story of the opening week, with a home crowd behind them too.
• Gentle Mates GC – the EMEA side knocked the champions into the lower bracket with a 2–0 win. Their semi-final against MIBR is a big test.
• KRÜ Blaze – Latin America’s champions came through the only three-map quarter-final, against Gen.G GC.
• Team Liquid Brazil – the champions now have to win from the lower bracket. That’s possible, but it means more matches and a best-of-five lower final.
• SK Nebula – the German-based side includes UK player fluxxy, so it’s one for British fans to follow in the lower bracket.

Who’s favourite? On results alone, the four unbeaten teams (MIBR GC, Gentle Mates GC, KRÜ Blaze and Shopify Rebellion Gold) have the easiest route. Shopify Rebellion Gold’s record in this event makes them the obvious pick, but double elimination gives Liquid a real path back. Nothing is settled until 1 November.

For stream links and start times in your time zone, see our guide to watching Worlds and Game Changers. If you’re upgrading your own aim, our sister site What2Buy has UK guides to wireless gaming mice and mechanical keyboards for gaming.