VALORANT reveals Recreation Changers North America 2026 roadmap

Riot Video games has unveiled the roadmap for the VALORANT Recreation Changers North America 2026 season, that includes a complete prize pool of $150,000 (~£112,000).

Recreation Changers North America (NA) is a part of Riot Video games’ world VALORANT ecosystem for girls and different marginalised genders. The circuit contains a number of regional competitions throughout NA, EMEA, LATAM, Brazil, Pacific and China, which culminate within the world Recreation Changers Championship every year.

Like this 12 months, the 2026 Recreation Changers (GC) NA season will start with a Kickoff occasion, permitting groups to trial gamers and put together for the upper stakes foremost competitions.

As much as 32 groups can take part within the Kickoff Open Qualifier from February 4th to ninth, with the highest eight squads advancing to the primary stage. The event will then conclude between February twentieth and March 1st with a double-elimination bracket.

All matches might be best-of-threes (BO3s) aside from the best-of-five (BO5) Decrease Bracket Finals and Grand Finals.

Whereas GC NA Kickoff doesn’t award Championship Circuit Factors, groups will compete for a $10,000 (~£7,500) prize pool.

The Open Qualifier and the vast majority of the primary occasion might be broadcast on Raidiant’s Twitch channel. The ultimate matches, nevertheless, will be watched by way of the VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube pages.

Following Recreation Changers Kickoff, the season will proceed with two similar Stage occasions. Stage 1 will happen from April fifteenth till June fifth, and Stage 2 will run from July third till September thirteenth.  

Every will see groups qualify by way of two previous Open Qualifiers. Each phases can even be divided right into a Swiss Stage and a Primary Occasion. 

First, 16 groups will play by way of seven Swiss rounds to find out the highest eight contestants. These will then compete within the Primary Occasions’ double-elimination bracket. Aside from the BO5 Decrease Bracket Finals and Grand Finals, all matches might be BO3s.

For Stage 1, the highest two groups from GC NA 2025, Shopify Insurrection Gold and Wadadaa, will obtain direct invitations to Swiss Stage 1. Furthermore, the eight best-performing rosters from Stage 1 will auto-qualify for the Stage 2 Swiss Stage.

The winners from each phases won’t solely earn the lion’s share of the occasions’ $65,000 (~£49,000) prize pool, but in addition Recreation Changers Championship Circuit Factors. These factors might decide qualification for the GC Championship and its Final Probability Qualifier.

To comply with the Recreation Changers NA motion, followers can tune in to the Raidiant broadcast for the Qualifiers and Swiss Phases in addition to the VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube channels throughout the Primary Occasions.

For 2026, the Recreation Changers Academy will rebrand into the Raidiant Academy, named after the primary Recreation Changers event organiser in North America. 

This initiative is aimed toward aspiring Recreation Changers athletes, on-air expertise and manufacturing workers who want to develop their expertise in a lower-stakes setting.

Over the course of the upcoming Recreation Changers NA season, 5 particular person weekend tournaments might be hosted and broadcast on the Raidiant Twitch channel:

Furthermore, each Raidiant Academy occasion will function a $2,000 (~£1,500) prize pool. Registration particulars and additional data will be discovered on Raidiant’s social media platforms.