VCT Americas Stage 2 2026 serves as the final qualifying milestone for North and South American teams aiming for a spot at Champions Shanghai. Held at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, the event determines which squads progress to the international stage through a mix of regular-season performance and playoff brackets.
Quick Facts
- Tournament Dates: July 16 – September 5, 2026
- Qualification: The Stage 2 winner and runner-up qualify for Champions Shanghai
- Prize Pool: $100,000 for 1st place, $65,000 for 2nd, $40,000 for 3rd, and $25,000 for 4th
Tournament Schedule and Structure
The competition is divided into three distinct phases:
- Group Stage (July 16 – August 9): Teams participate in a single-round robin format featuring best-of-three matches.
- Play-ins (August 13 – August 23): A 12-team double-elimination bracket featuring eight teams from the group stage and four teams from the Americas Regional Challengers.
- Playoffs (August 27 – September 5): The top four finishers from each group advance. This bracket uses a double-elimination format, with the lower final and grand final played as best-of-five series.
Championship Points and Rewards
Beyond cash prizes, teams earn Championship Points that influence their overall standing. First place earns 8 points, second place earns 6, third place earns 5, and fourth place earns 4. Additionally, every regular-season match win awards one point.
Competing Teams
The 12 permanent league teams competing are Sentinels, Cloud9, NRG, LOUD, Leviatán, FURIA, MIBR, 100 Thieves, G2 Esports, KRÜ Esports, Evil Geniuses, and ENVY. These squads are joined in the play-ins by qualified Challenger teams, including M80 (North America), La Masia (Brazil), and two additional spots from the Latin America Challengers and the Americas Last Chance Qualifier.