South Asia’s Valorant hopefuls have a shot at the big league. Riot Games has teamed up with JioBlast to run the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2027 Kickoff Open Qualifiers, with two teams set to punch their tickets to Kickoff Asia-Pacific (Apac).
The tournament runs from 17 to 29 November, but teams must lock in their entries by 13 November. The competition will unfold across two stages: an open qualifier followed by playoffs, with the region’s best battling for those two coveted spots.
The open qualifiers, scheduled for 17 to 20 November, will use a Swiss-stage format. The top eight teams will advance to the playoffs, which run from 23 to 29 November under a double-elimination format. One loss will not necessarily end a team’s run, but consistency will be key to staying in contention.
The event forms part of the season-opening pathway for the VCT 2027, bringing established contenders and emerging teams from across South Asia into the same competitive arena.
JioBlast CEO Charlie Cowdrey said, “At JioBlast, we believe the future of esports depends on creating meaningful opportunities for emerging talent to compete, prove themselves and progress to the global stage. It is a great sign to see Blast’s global relationship with Riot Games extending to India through JioBlast and it reflects our commitment to strengthening South Asia’s competitive ecosystem and giving teams a clear pathway to pursue their ambitions. We look forward to seeing the region’s best talent step up, compete and seize this opportunity to make their mark.”
Riot Games India and South Asia publishing lead Anushka Bhatnagar shared, “The VCT 2027 competitive format marks an exciting step forward in making Valorant Esports more accessible and creating meaningful opportunities for aspiring players across South Asia. We’re pleased to partner with JioBlast to bring this opportunity to the region and continue building the competitive ecosystem for Valorant in South Asia.”
Teams can register until 13 November at the official website. Players must hold a current rank of at least Ascendant one and meet the tournament’s age, residency, account and other eligibility requirements.
The playoffs will be streamed on the official JioBlast and Valorant YouTube channels, as well as JioTV. Further updates will be shared through the official JioBlast and Valorant Esports channels.
For South Asia’s aspiring Valorant contenders, the countdown is on: register in time, survive the qualifiers and turn a regional run into an Apac opportunity.
