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VCT Americas 2027 Reveals Eight Invited Teams for NA Qualifier Playoffs
Riot Games has revealed the eight teams invited to the North America Qualifier Playoffs for VCT Americas Kickoff 2027. The November 4 announcement puts Cloud9, ENVY and two Shopify Rebellion rosters on the path back to top-level VALORANT competition, with the first open qualifier starting on November 5.
The invitations fill half of the 16-team playoff field. The remaining eight places will be decided through two open qualifiers, meaning the invited teams will still have to compete for a spot at Kickoff rather than entering the 2027 event directly.
All Eight Invited Teams for the VCT Americas 2027 NA Playoffs
VALORANT Esports North America confirmed the following teams:
Shopify Rebellion accounts for two of the eight invitations through its separate Black and Gold lineups. Gold represents the organization's Game Changers program and won Game Changers North America Stage 2 in September, while Black competed in Challengers North America.
The list also includes several organizations that missed out on the 2027-2028 VCT partnership selections, including Cloud9, ENVY, FlyQuest and Shopify Rebellion. Riot's stated invitation criteria covered former VCT teams without renewed partnerships, leading Challengers teams and leading Game Changers teams.
How the Invited Teams Can Reach VCT Americas Kickoff 2027
Before the invited teams enter the competition, two open qualifiers will take place on November 5 to 8 and November 12 to 15. These tournaments are for teams competing through the open qualification system, with at least four teams advancing from each qualifier.
The eight teams that received direct invitations will skip these opening tournaments and join the qualified teams in the 16-team Swiss Stage, scheduled for November 20 to 22. Teams need two Swiss-stage wins to advance, with the top eight moving into a double-elimination bracket from December 1 to 6.
The champion will secure North America's direct spot at VCT Americas Kickoff 2027 in São Paulo, Brazil. The runner-up will instead compete in the Americas Last Chance Qualifier on December 17 and 18, facing the runners-up from Brazil and Latin America for the final Kickoff berth.
Both North American finalists will also qualify for the Red Bull Home Ground World Final, scheduled for December 10 to 13 in Los Angeles.
For registration requirements and the full qualification pathway, see Strafe's VCT Americas 2027 North America qualifiers guide.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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