Organizer
Tournament edition
VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1
VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1 ran from April 1 to May 17 at Riot Games Arena in Berlin. Twelve teams competed in a five-week group stage and eight-team playoff; Team Heretics defeated Team Vitality 3–2 in the final.
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Updated October 19, 2026Competition snapshot
CategoryPartnerCommercial note
Category
Organizer
Partner
Riot GamesCommercial note
Organizer and circuit operator · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[2]
Category
Official Partner
Partner
KitKatCommercial note
2026 VCT EMEA season partner · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[4]
Category
Official Partner
Partner
RazerCommercial note
Official gaming chair partner · 2026–2027 VCT EMEA seasons · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[5]
Category
Official Partner
Partner
AORUSCommercial note
Official hardware partner for VCT EMEA and Game Changers EMEA in 2026 and 2027 · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[8]
Category
Official Partner
Partner
MovemberCommercial note
Official Mental Health Partner for VCT EMEA and Game Changers EMEA in 2026 and 2027 · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[7]
Category
Official Partner
Partner
OMODACommercial note
Official Automotive Partner for VALORANT Esports EMEA through 2028; Finals MVP sponsor · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[9]
Category
Official Partner
Partner
INZONECommercial note
VCT EMEA main partner through the 2026 season · Recorded in the 2026 edition.[6]
PTG Database Analysis
Riot Games scheduled the 2026 VCT EMEA Stage 1 group stage from April 1 to May 1, followed by playoffs from May 7 to 17 at Riot Games Arena in Berlin. The 12 teams were divided into two groups of six and played a single round robin of best-of-three matches. The top four in each group advanced to an eight-team modified double-elimination playoff; its lower-bracket final and grand final were best of five.[2][3]
The 2026 season brought commercial partners across VCT EMEA, including KitKat, Razer, INZONE, Movember, AORUS, and OMODA. Their announced roles covered in-game breaks and event activity, gaming chairs, headsets, hardware for the Berlin arena, automotive presentation, and the Finals MVP award. The canonical Partnerships tab links the partners with existing PTG profiles; the full season partner set and its source records are retained above.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Team Heretics won the title with a 3–2 grand-final victory over Team Vitality. The top three qualified for Masters London.[2][3]
References10
- [1]VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1 — tournament listing — GosuGamers
- [2]2026 VCT EMEA Stage 1: Format, Dates, and Tickets — VALORANT Esports
- [3]VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1 — groups, playoffs, and results — VLR.gg
- [4]KitKat partners with VCT EMEA — VALORANT Esports
- [5]Razer signs multiyear partnership with VALORANT Esports EMEA — VALORANT Esports
- [6]Sony's INZONE signs as main partner for VCT EMEA — VALORANT Esports
- [7]Movember partners with VALORANT Esports EMEA — VALORANT Esports
- [8]AORUS Named an Official Partner for VALORANT Esports EMEA — VALORANT Esports
- [9]OMODA Partners with VALORANT Esports EMEA — VALORANT Esports
- [10]2026 VCT EMEA Stage 1 Final tickets — VALORANT Esports ticketing
Commercial opportunities
2026 VCT EMEA season partners
Riot Games named KitKat, Razer, Sony INZONE, Movember, AORUS, and OMODA as partners across VCT EMEA during the 2026 season. The official announcements describe KitKat's in-game and event activations, Razer's gaming-chair role, INZONE's headset partnership, AORUS hardware for the Berlin arena, and OMODA's automotive and Finals MVP sponsorship.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Tournament schedule
- Grand Final
Team Heretics wins the EMEA Stage 1 title
Team Heretics beat Team Vitality 3–2 in the grand final.[](cite:3)
- Playoffs
Eight-team playoffs begin
The modified double-elimination playoff ran May 7–17. Matches were best of three except the lower-bracket final and grand final, which were best of five.[](cite:2)
- Group Stage
Group stage concludes
The top four teams in each group advanced to the eight-team playoffs; the bottom two in each group were eliminated.[](cite:2)
- Group Stage
VCT EMEA Stage 1 group stage begins
The 12-team field opened a five-week single round robin split into two groups of six; each team played five best-of-three matches.[](cite:2)
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