Riot Games Unveils 2026 VALORANT Game Changers North America Roadmap

Posted : 19 December 2025

Riot Games has officially released the 2026 roadmap for the VALORANT Game Changers North America (GC NA) season, highlighting a $150,000 (~£112,000) total prize pool. The circuit will run from February through September, featuring a Kickoff event, two main stages, and five Raidiant Academy tournaments.

Game Changers NA is part of Riot’s global ecosystem for women and marginalized genders, operating alongside regional competitions in EMEA, LATAM, Brazil, the Pacific, and China. Each season culminates in the annual Game Changers Championship, where the best teams from all regions compete for global honors.

The season begins with the Kickoff event, designed to allow teams to test new lineups and prepare for the main competitions. Up to 32 squads can enter the Open Qualifier from February 4–9, with the top eight advancing to the main stage, which runs from February 20 to March 1 using a double-elimination format. Matches are mostly best-of-three, except for the best-of-five Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals. The Kickoff event carries a $10,000 (~£7,500) prize pool but does not award Championship Circuit Points.

Following the Kickoff, the season continues with two identical Stage events. Stage 1 will run from April 15 to June 5, and Stage 2 from July 3 to September 13. Each stage features Open Qualifiers leading to a Swiss Stage and a Main Event. Sixteen teams compete in seven Swiss rounds to determine the top eight, who then enter the Main Event’s double-elimination bracket, again with BO3 matches except for the BO5 Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals.

Top teams from GC NA 2025, Shopify Rebellion Gold and Wadadaa, will receive direct invitations to Stage 1. Additionally, the best eight teams from Stage 1 automatically qualify for Stage 2 Swiss Stage. Winners of both stages will share a $65,000 (~£49,000) prize pool and earn Game Changers Championship Circuit Points, which may secure a spot at the GC Championship or the Last Chance Qualifier.

The 2026 season also sees the rebranding of the Game Changers Academy into Raidiant Academy. This program focuses on developing aspiring Game Changers players, on-air talent, and production staff in a lower-stakes environment. Five weekend tournaments will be held across the year, each offering a $2,000 (~£1,500) prize pool and broadcast on Raidiant’s Twitch channel.

Fans can follow all stages of the competition through Raidiant’s Twitch for Qualifiers and Swiss Stages, and via VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube for the Main Events. Registration and further details for the Raidiant Academy events are available on Raidiant’s official social media platforms.

Riot Games Unveils 2026 VALORANT Game Changers North America Roadmap

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