Esports World Cup VALORANT: Which teams have qualified?

The first-ever Esports World Cup (EWC) VALORANT tournament will feature 16 teams competing for a share of its $1.25m (~£922,918) prize pool.

On top of the prize money, the representatives from the four VCT regions (Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific) will square off for crucial Club Championship points, which will increase the esports organisations’ chances to earn extra prize money. Held from July 8th to July 13th in Riyadh, these are the teams that have qualified for the Esports World Cup VALORANT tournament.

VCT Americas saw G2 and Sentinels automatically qualify for the tournament after finishing in the top two of Stage 1. The two teams will be joined by NRG and 100 Thieves, who were victorious in the EWC Americas Qualifier, as both defeated tournament favourites MIBR and Evil Geniuses.

The Chinese region will send 2024 Ascension team, XLG Esports, following its Cinderella run in Stage 1, as well as BiliBili Gaming (BLG). Both teams will first compete at VCT Masters Toronto before heading to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, alongside EDward Gaming (EDG) and Titan Esports Club.

2024 VCT Champions, EDG, came out victorious at the VALORANT China Evolution Series Act 2, held during the Asian Champions League, making its way back onto the international stage after VCT Masters Bangkok.

Titan Esports Club, on the other hand, made an unexpected run from the first round, defeating BLG, Dragon Ranger Gaming, and Wolves Esports to snatch the last spot at the tournament.

Karmine Corp (KC) caused a major upset during the EWC EMEA Qualifier by defeating one of the league’s top teams, Team Liquid, in the decisive series for the fourth slot.

Despite finishing in the bottom half during Stage 1, the French team will now have a chance to prove themselves at the international stage after last year’s VALORANT Masters Madrid.

KC will join BBL Esports, as well as the two Stage 1 champions and runners-up, Fnatic and Team Heretics.

With Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ) and Gen.G Esports already qualified for the EWC, the two remaining spots were decided through the EWC Pacific Qualifier.

After ZETA DIVISION and DetonatioN FocusMe chose not to attend the tournament due to conflicting schedules, eight VCT Pacific teams were left in contention. In the end, Paper Rex and DRX, who were also among the top four in Stage 1, came out on top, defeating Team Secret and Global Esports, respectively, in the playoff stage.

T1, who won the latest VALORANT Masters Bangkok tournament, were eliminated in the group stage and will miss out on the two upcoming international competitions.

All Masters Toronto 2025 Teams

Despite the presence of the top teams in the world, the EWC VALORANT tournament has received criticism from sections of the esports community and prominent personalities. This is due to the Saudi Arabian government’s ties to the Esports World Cup, with some calling it a form of ‘sportswashing‘.

The Esports World Cup VALORANT tournament will be broadcast starting on July 8 on the official EWC Twitch and YouTube channels.