Valorant Esports News

Team Heretics have arrived in 2026 with their debut match against Natus Vincere (NAVI) in VCT EMEA Kickoff, but perhaps not with the landing they were hoping for. Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Team Heretics player Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish to reflect on the team’s performance during the series, goals for 2026 following a quieter 2025, his thoughts on the game changes during the off-season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

VALORANT’s beloved Reaver collection is set to return in Patch 12.01, featuring skins for Bandit and Butterfly Knife. The bundle will also include a player card, gun buddy, and spray.

The first wave of Esports World Cup 2026 tickets is now live on the EWC website, and fans have the option to choose from Weekly All Access Passes, Premium Tournament Passes, and an exclusive Esports Embassy Experience.

The road to Masters Santiago begins with a single step – Kickoff. The VCT EMEA Kickoff for 2026 is set to begin on the 20th of January with 12 teams taking to the stage, competing and qualifying for 3 slots to the first VALORANT Masters event of the new year. Kings of old? Established order? 2026 upturns all of that with new challengers vying for control in this latest season of VCT EMEA.

Karmine Corp’s opening debut with their new roster in the VCT EMEA 2026 Kickoff tournament did not deliver quite the brilliant opener they were hoping for. However, despite NAVI’s brilliant start to both maps, Karmine Corp managed to mount late game comebacks both times, resulting in an end result that was far from satisfactory, but not fully disappointing. Following the conclusion to the series, Strafe Esports sat down with Karmine Corp’s Head Coach Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov to speak on the team’s performance during the match, their preparation coming into their first match of 2026, his thoughts on the game’s changes since last season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

Strafe Esports was recently invited to attend a media event organized by the EWC (Esports World Cup). In it, an open discussion was held around EWC 2026 and beyond, answering some of the bigger questions surrounding one of the world’s biggest emerging esports tournament organizers.

Esports World Cup 2026 announced a historic $75 million prize pool. The annual event will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on July 6, featuring 25 tournaments across 24 games.

Trackmania joins the Esports World Cup 2026 lineup. In this precision racing esport, 32 players from all over the world will compete in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for their share of a $500,000 prize pool.

Marking a significant shift, VCT Pacific will take its Stage 1 Finals to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and its Stage 2 Finals to Busan, South Korea. This move marks a departure from the league's traditional home in Seoul.

As the countdown to Kickoff continues, VALORANT Esports EMEA has just announced a multiyear partnership with Razer as the official gaming chair partner for 2026 and 2027. The partnership will extend to both VCT EMEA as well as Game Changers EMEA.

VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) has eliminated the randomness of coin tosses for the 2026 season, introducing a 1v1 Skirmish format that puts player skill at the center to determine map and side selection priority. Starting with the 2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff on January 22, equally seeded teams will send one player each into a pure aim duel to determine who gains the crucial advantage in pick-and-ban phases.​ Rules and Mechanics The new Skirmish Side Selection system operates under straightforward rulesmore

The 2026 VALORANT season begins with VCT Pacific Kickoff, where the twelve teams in the region will compete for Championship Points and three Masters spots. The tournament will be held from January 22 to February 15.

If you think of esports, chances are the G2 name will pop up in your head; the menacing samurai, the countless trophies, the aspiration to be bigger, better. When it comes to the world of competitive video games, G2 Esports is one of the most recognizable brands worldwide, no doubt about it. But, just how big are they really? And perhaps more importantly, what steps did they take to get there? Strafe had the chance to sit down with Albanmore

Competitive VALORANT is set to return for 2026 as 12 teams gear up for the VCT Americas 2026 Kickoff, the first major event of the year that will determine three representatives for VALORANT Masters Santiago. With revamped rosters, a unique triple elimination format, and valuable Championship Points on the line, the Americas league is primed for an intense start to the VCT 2026 season.

Riot Games has introduced the Alpha vs Omega ACT 1 Challenge in VALORANT Season V26, offering players a chance to complete objectives alongside some of their favorite EMEA content creators.

Riot Games brings in 2026 with the new skin bundle Ayakashi, a premium cosmetic collection inspired by Japanese mythology that proves they continue to not mess around when it comes to weapon cosmetic innovations. ​​What The Ayakashi Skin Bundle Contains The bundle costs 7,160 Valorant Points and arrives with a solid lineup: the Phantom and Ghost skins (those reliable guns you already can't aim with) plus the Kogitsune dual-blade melee, VALORANT's first-ever dual short katana design. Think of it as finallymore

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has unveiled the format of the 2026 Esports Nations Cup, scheduled for November. The tournament will feature 24-48 national teams per team-based title and 32-128 individuals per solo title.

Season 2026 is officially here, and the VALORANT Patch 12.00 is dropping some serious heat. This update brings the biggest map rework in the game's history, a brand-new sidearm, and a whole list of changes that are going to shake up how you play. Breeze is back after a complete overhaul, there's a fresh weapon called the Bandit ready to change your eco rounds, and Riot is introducing All Random One Site, a chaotic new limited-time mode that throws strategymore

VALORANT kicks off new season V26 with Patch 12.00. The in-game new year kicks off map and agent changes, new weapon and all new game mode: All Random One Site

VCT 2026 is set to begin in January, starting with the Kickoff tournament. This will be followed by International Leagues Stage 1, Masters Santiago, League Stage 2, Masters London, and VALORANT Champions.