The eight organizations picked as VCT China partners for the 2027–2028 cycle announced their places on Monday. League operator TJ Sports, the joint venture of Tencent and Riot Games, reposted each team's announcement. The partner count drops from 10 to eight as Riot trims partner lists in all four regions.
Six partners were renewed: EDward Gaming, JD Gaming, Bilibili Gaming, TYLOO, All Gamers and Trace Esports. Xi Lai Gaming, which earned its spot through VCT Ascension China in 2024 and has played as a visitor team since 2025, is promoted to partner. Weibo Gaming is the only organization joining without a VCT CN slot in the 2026 season.
FunPlus Phoenix, Wolves Esports, Nova Esports and Titan Esports Club lose partner status, and visitor team Dragon Ranger Gaming was not selected. People close to TJ Sports told The Esports Advocate that the selection favored financial commitment and the resources of parent platforms such as JD.com, Bilibili and Weibo.
In the team's announcement video, Weibo Esports Club general manager Yang Xin reportedly described VALORANT as an important part of Weibo's long-term plans and said the club was ready for sustained investment.
For 2027, VCT replaces regional leagues with a circuit of Open Qualifiers, Kickoff, Cups, Masters and Champions. Partners keep direct entry into Kickoff, and the China field will consist of the eight partners, two visitor teams and two open qualifier teams. Kickoff in Hangzhou runs from Jan. 14 to Feb. 7, Cup 1 in Wuhan from April 29 to May 23, and Cup 2 in Shanghai from Aug. 5 to 29. Masters events are set for Seoul and Valencia, and Champions in Austin from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10.