VCT 2027: All 32 Partner Teams Revealed – Who Missed Out?

Owen Harsono Published October 26, 2026

VCT 2027: All 32 Partner Teams Revealed – Who Missed Out?

Riot Games has officially announced the 32 organizations that are qualified to be a VCT-partnered team. The company has carefully selected eight teams from each major region, so let’s take a look at all partnered VCT teams and notable teams that couldn’t quite make the cut.

VCT Americas Partnered Teams

G2 Esports
Sentinels
NRG Esports
100 Thieves
LEVIATAN
KRU Esports
LOUD
MIBR

The partnered teams in VCT Americas are all familiar faces. Americas was the strongest region in the 2026 Valorant season, having won VCT Champions 2026, so it’ll be interesting to see whether teams from the region can continue their dominance at the highest level.

Image via Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

We didn’t really see any new organizations enter the partnership, but we are missing a few. Cloud9 and FURIA are the most notable names that failed to secure a franchise spot, while Evil Geniuses shut down esports operations entirely after over 20 years.

VCT Pacific Partnered Teams

Paper Rex
Gen.G
T1 Esports
Rex Regum Qeon
FULL SENSE
ZETA DIVISION
Crazy Raccoon
GAM Esports

We get to see two new logos on VCT Pacific’s biggest stage, as Japanese organization Crazy Raccoon and Vietnamese squad GAM Esports officially made partnerships. These two teams will make their debut in the upcoming season, though none of their rosters have been revealed yet.

However, there’s a little bit of drama, as several top Pacific teams failed to make the list. VCT Masters Santiago winners Nongshim RedForce didn’t make the cut, which caused quite a stir within the community.

DRX – an org that has made several appearances at international tournaments, wasn’t included either. The new partnership structure also hurt Global Esports, as the org exited Valorant and competitive gaming entirely after they failed to secure a partner spot.

Goodbye Global Esports 👊
#GEFought 🫡 https://t.co/23EpPacsMD
— Dr Rushindra Sinha (@irushi) October 19, 2026

VCT EMEA Partnered Teams

Fnatic
Team Heretics
Team Liquid
Team Vitality
Gentle Mates
Karmine Corp
BBL Esports
FUT Esports

Unlike VCT Pacific, there are no new organizations appearing in VCT EMEA’s partnership list – all of the orgs included are familiar faces that have stuck around the region for a while already.

However, two notable organizations that aren’t included are GIANTX and, most notably, Natus Vincere, one of the biggest organizations in all of esports.

Still, we have some really big names like Fnatic, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, and Gentle Mates making the list, so VCT EMEA should still be in relatively good hands.

Image via Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

VCT China Partnered Teams

EDward Gaming
Bilibili Gaming
Xi Lai Gaming
TYLOO
Trace Esports
All Gamers
JD Gaming
Weibo Gaming

Most top teams in VCT China secured their partnership slots, but the region does have a new appearance in Weibo Gaming. Weibo Gaming is a massive Chinese organization that has presence in other titles like League of Legends, so it’s not too surprising seeing them enter Valorant.

However, the limited partnership slots did mean squads like Dragon Ranger Gaming, Wolves Esports, and even Nova Esports couldn’t make the cut.

What Do VCT Partnered Teams Receive?

So, what does being a partnered VCT team actually mean? It’s actually quite a big deal, as teams that made the list receive several benefits throughout the season:

Riot Games financially supports partnered teams directly, helping with operational costs.
Partnered teams also get another revenue stream, as they get a percentage of sales from team capsules and other VCT-related bundles.
Teams on the partnered list will also get a guaranteed qualification to the first VCT tournament of the year – VCT Kickoff.

Can Non-Partnered Teams Still Compete?

Yes, non-partnered teams will still exist and can compete at the highest level, too – the journey is just longer.

Non-partnered teams will have to figure out finances by themselves, and also qualify for tournaments like VCT Kickoff through Open Qualifiers. So yes, partnered teams have a huge head start over non-partnered ones, but the road to the top isn’t impossible for unpartnered organizations.

Feature Image Credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

Related Stats:

NRG

About Owen Harsono

Owen spends his free time playing competitive games like Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, and Valorant and even reached top-percentile ranks in all three titles. He keeps a close eye on the professional scenes, never missing a major tournament so he can share his in-depth reports, expert insights, and predictions.

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