VCT 2027 partners: 32 orgs, eight per region, Kickoff is the only free pass

Riot published the VALORANT Champions Tour 2027 partner list on October 22. Thirty-two organizations, eight in each of the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. More than 100 teams applied. A smaller finalist group sat with global and regional esports leads. The official post does not print the 32 names in text — they are on the accompanying graphic. The table below is that graphic, cross-checked against esports.gg’s write-up of the same image.

The 32

One reporting miss to ignore: esports.gg’s own table includes MIBR, then a later paragraph says MIBR missed the cut. The official graphic has MIBR. We are going with the graphic.

How Riot says it picked

Five criteria: grow the VALORANT community; fandom and content resonance; business sustainability and responsible operations; operational excellence; competitive success and performance development. Results counted. Riot says it weighted fandom and community resonance more heavily, looking for a local fanbase, a distinct identity, or a history of winning — not just a 2026 placing.

What a partner slot actually guarantees

• Two-year renewable cycles with annual financial support.
• Extra revenue from Team and Season Capsules, the Championship bundle, and growth incentives.
• Direct qualification to VCT Kickoff at the start of 2027.

Kickoff is the last automatic invite. After that, partners queue with Open Qualifier teams. Cups, Masters, and Champions are performance-only. Riot’s line: partners will “for the first time face an onslaught of new challengers throughout the season.”

Who we can say missed

Riot did not publish a rejection list. Name a miss only when the organization said so. Nongshim RedForce CEO Evans Oh posted on October 19 that NS RedForce was not selected, and that the org will stay in VALORANT. Other established names are absent from the 32. We are not filling that gap with a recap blog’s unverified leftovers.