Riot Games has officially confirmed a significant structural overhaul and expansion of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) for the upcoming 2026 season. The expansion introduces two crucial new franchised regions: the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and South Asia. This marks the first major addition to the partnered-league model since its inception in 2023. This strategic move follows substantial surges in VCT viewership across both regions throughout the 2024–2025 seasons, coupled with a notable and rapid rise in local player populations, demonstrating robust, untapped regional enthusiasm for the tactical FPS title.
Riot Games states that the expansion is designed to unlock several key growth opportunities. These include the creation of new, exclusive partnership slots for local organizations, the establishment of dedicated, localized LAN circuits, and the building of region-specific talent pipelines. Crucially, each new region will now operate its own Tier 1 league, guaranteeing regional representation with dedicated qualification slots for global events like Masters and Champions. This addresses long-standing calls from dedicated fans for more direct competitive pathways from these emerging markets.Industry analysts are highly optimistic, believing this expansion will significantly diversify the global professional rosters, inject new sponsorship interest, and ultimately solidify Valorant’s position as one of the world’s most prominent and geographically broad first-person shooter (FPS) esports titles. The move is expected to accelerate revenue growth and fan engagement across two of the fastest-growing gaming markets globally.
 for the upcoming 2026 season.){kind=link}