VALORANT reveals Game Changers North America 2026 roadmap

Running from February until September, the circuit will encompass a Kickoff tournament, two main events and five Raidiant Academy competitions.

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Game Changers North America (NA) is part of Riot Games’ global VALORANT ecosystem for women and other marginalised genders. The circuit includes several regional competitions across NA, EMEA, LATAM, Brazil, Pacific and China, which culminate in the global Game Changers Championship each year.

Game Changers NA 2026: Kickoff Event

Like this year, the 2026 Game Changers (GC) NA season will begin with a Kickoff event, allowing teams to trial players and prepare for the higher stakes main competitions.

Up to 32 teams can participate in the Kickoff Open Qualifier from February 4th to 9th, with the top eight squads advancing to the main stage. The tournament will then conclude between February 20th and March 1st with a double-elimination bracket.

All matches will be best-of-threes (BO3s) except for the best-of-five (BO5) Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals.

While GC NA Kickoff does not award Championship Circuit Points, teams will compete for a $10,000 (~£7,500) prize pool.

The Open Qualifier and the majority of the main event will be broadcast on Raidiant’s Twitch channel. The final matches, however, can be watched via the VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube pages.

Game Changers NA 2026: Stage 1 & 2

Following Game Changers Kickoff, the season will continue with two identical Stage events. Stage 1 will take place from April 15th until June 5th, and Stage 2 will run from July 3rd until September 13th.  

Each will see teams qualify through two preceding Open Qualifiers. Both stages will also be divided into a Swiss Stage and a Main Event. 

First, 16 teams will play through seven Swiss rounds to determine the top eight contestants. These will then compete in the Main Events’ double-elimination bracket. Except for the BO5 Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals, all matches will be BO3s.

For Stage 1, the top two teams from GC NA 2025, Shopify Rebellion Gold and Wadadaa, will receive direct invites to Swiss Stage 1. Moreover, the eight best-performing rosters from Stage 1 will auto-qualify for the Stage 2 Swiss Stage.

The winners from both stages will not only earn the lion’s share of the events’ $65,000 (~£49,000) prize pool, but also Game Changers Championship Circuit Points. These points may determine qualification for the GC Championship and its Last Chance Qualifier.

To follow the Game Changers NA action, fans can tune in to the Raidiant broadcast for the Qualifiers and Swiss Stages as well as the VALORANT Americas Twitch and YouTube channels during the Main Events.

Raidiant Academy

For 2026, the Game Changers Academy will rebrand into the Raidiant Academy, named after the main Game Changers tournament organiser in North America. 

This initiative is aimed at aspiring Game Changers athletes, on-air talent and production staff who would like to develop their skills in a lower-stakes environment.

Over the course of the upcoming Game Changers NA season, five individual weekend tournaments will be hosted and broadcast on the Raidiant Twitch channel:

Series 301	Series 302	Series 303	Series 304	Series 305
January 2026	TBD 2026	October 2026	November 2026	December 2026

Moreover, every Raidiant Academy event will feature a $2,000 (~£1,500) prize pool. Registration details and further information can be found on Raidiant’s social media platforms.

Source: https://esportsinsider.com/