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Riot Games announces 32 partner teams for VCT 2027
Riot Games has officially unveiled the 32 partner organizations selected for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2027 and 2028 cycles. The selection process involved over 100 global applicants, with the new structure reducing the number of partner teams in each of the four major regions—Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China—from ten down to eight.
In the EMEA region, the eight confirmed partners are Team Vitality, Karmine Corp, FUT Esports, Team Liquid, BBL Esports, Fnatic, Team Heretics, and Gentle Mates. Notably, several prominent organizations such as Movistar KOI, NAVI, and Eternal Fire did not secure partner status and must now rely on open qualifiers to compete in major events.
The two-year partnership agreements provide teams with automatic qualification for the VCT Kickoff tournaments and a share of digital revenue through in-game items, such as team-branded capsules. While partner status offers financial stability and direct entry into initial stages, Riot Games emphasized that performance remains the primary requirement for qualifying for Masters and Champions events.
Entities
Gentle Mates · Karmine Corp · Riot Games · Team Vitality · VALORANT Champions Tour
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Each of the four international VCT leagues will feature eight partner teams. estnn.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Partner teams receive a share of digital revenue from in-game items. draco-venturus.fr · estnn.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Partner teams receive automatic qualification for the VCT Kickoff. draco-venturus.fr · estnn.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Riot Games has selected 32 partner organizations for the VCT 2027 and 2028 cycles. estnn.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The partnership agreements are set for a two-year duration. draco-venturus.fr · estnn.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Cloud9, Movistar KOI, DRX, Nongshim RedForce, and Global Esports were not selected as partners. estnn.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Non-partnered teams can still qualify for international events through open qualifiers. draco-venturus.fr · estnn.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Team Vitality, Karmine Corp, and Gentle Mates are among the EMEA partner teams. draco-venturus.fr