Two teams to qualify for Kickoff APAC; registrations open until November 13 midnight

Mumbai : Riot Games has partnered with JioBLAS to stage the VCT 2027 Kickoff Open Qualifiers in South Asia, giving teams from the region an opportunity to compete for two places at Kickoff APAC.

The partnership will see JioBLAST bring the open qualification tournament to South Asia as part of the season-opening pathway for the 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT).

Registrations are now open, with competition scheduled from November 17–29.The Open Qualifiers will run from November 17–20 in a Swiss-stage format, with the top eight teams advancing to the Playoffs.

The Playoffs, scheduled for November 23–29, will feature a double-elimination bracket to determine the two teams progressing to Kickoff APAC.For JioBLAST, the tournament forms part of its efforts to strengthen South Asia’s competitive esports ecosystem by providing opportunities for emerging talent to compete alongside established teams and qualify for international competition._“

At JioBLAST, we believe the future of esports depends on creating meaningful opportunities for emerging talent to compete, prove themselves and progress to the global stage,”_ said *Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST.*_“It is a great sign to see BLAST’s global relationship with Riot Games extending to India through JioBLAST and it reflects our commitment to strengthening South Asia’s competitive ecosystem and giving teams a clear pathway to pursue their ambitions. We look forward to seeing the region’s best talent step up, compete and seize this opportunity to make their mark,”_ *he added.**Anushka Bhatnagar, Publishing Lead for Riot Games India and South Asia* , said, _

“The VCT 2027 competitive format marks an exciting step forward in making VALORANT Esports more accessible and creating meaningful opportunities for aspiring players across South Asia.”__“We’re pleased to partner with JioBLAST to bring this opportunity to the region and continue building the competitive ecosystem for VALORANT in South Asia,”_ *she added.

*Teams can register until November 13 at jioblast.com/vctsakickoff.

All participating players must hold a minimum current rank of Ascendant 1 and meet the age, residency, account and other eligibility requirements specified in the official tournament, refer to the official tournament website –

HereThe Playoffs will be streamed live on the official JioBLAST and VALORANT YouTube channels, alongside JioTV. Stay tuned to JioBLAST and VALORANT Esports’ official social media channels for the latest announcements, tournament updates and further information.

*About JioBLAST

*JioBLAST is a joint venture between BLAST, and RISE Worldwide Limited (a wholly owned RIL subsidiary), combining Jio’s digital ecosystem with BLAST’s global expertise in esports entertainment and RISE’s leadership in sports and event management. JioBLAST creates premium, youth-focused competitive entertainment formats designed to help players, fans, creators and partners connect through gaming and live experiences.

*About VALORANT*

VALORANT is a competitive 5v5 character-based first-person tactical shooter developed and published by Riot Games for PC. VALORANT is a precise and lethal multiplayer game with high-fidelity gunplay, a diverse arsenal of guns, agents with unique abilities, and competitively tuned maps for unlimited hours of play. In VALORANT, players lock in their agent for the entire duration of the match and then attempt to win a round-based, attackers vs. defenders, best-of-24-rounds fight.

Visit PlayVALORANT.com

for more information and follow @VALORANT on social media.