VALORANT will be returning for the Esports World Cup 2027, joining the iconic EWC slate of titles for the third consecutive year. The wider VALORANT ecosystem is entering a brand new era in 2027, but the EWC tournament remains a massive proving ground for the world’s top international squads, with an illustrious trophy and eye-watering prize pool on the line.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of VALORANT at EWC 27, including the major stories from the tournament in 2026 and Clubs to watch as the new season gets underway.
100 Thieves shocked the world in Paris this past summer. The North American team that has struggled with consistency throughout the VCT partnership era, especially on the international stage, went on a spectacular run, not dropping a single series en route to lifting the trophy.
In the playoffs, 100 Thieves decisively defeated a star-studded Americas rival in MIBR.LOS, overcame the red-hot Masters Santiago winners in Nongshim RedForce, and capped it all off by beating none other than the reigning world champions in NRG. This monumental victory lit a spark that started a run for 100 Thieves to close out the year, as they dominated and won VCT Americas Stage 2, then secured a top-three finish at Champions, cementing their best year ever since joining VALORANT.
The VALORANT ecosystem as we know it is changing drastically in 2027, moving from regional leagues of partnered teams to an open ecosystem with more frequent qualifying tournaments where partnered teams aren't guaranteed spots at the higher level. With this change, we will see one of the most interesting offseasons in the game’s history, but one team has plenty of reasons to run it back.
LOUD were incredibly quiet in the first half of the year, finishing dead last at Kickoff, barely cracking the top 8 in VCT Americas Stage 1, and finishing just one spot shy of even qualifying for EWC 2026. Needing a spark, they turned to new talent, Enzo "tkzin" Zimiani on loan from academy team KRÜ Spark, and Portuguese player David "DaviH" Cruz. The new duo instantly lifted LOUD, helping them reach the Stage 2 Grand Final, where they fell to 100 Thieves in five games.
But LOUD ultimately got the last laugh over 100T, and a place in the history books. They went on a miraculous run at Champions 2026 in Shanghai, defeating legendary names in the game, including Paper Rex, NRG, and Team Vitality (twice) en route to lifting the trophy. LOUD became the first and only organization to win Champions twice, with entirely different rosters each time.
With LOUD retaining partnership in 2027, with a championship roster on the books, and Americas Kickoff set for São Paulo in January, LOUD has a path to even more championships if they stick together.
If LOUD chooses to run it back with their championship-winning roster, they will face plenty of competition. Clubs that have long dominated VALORANT, like NRG, 100 Thieves, and Paper Rex, will certainly field strong rosters at EWC 2027, while teams with Club Championship aspirations like Team Liquid, Team Vitality, and All Gamers will see VALORANT as a massive opportunity to earn points. The new competitive format should bring fresh challengers into the mix, making 2027 a difficult season to predict. LOUD has the roster and momentum to defend their title, but anything can happen between now and EWC 2027.
For more information, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow EWC on X and Instagram, and the Esports Foundation on LinkedIn.
TThe Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Returning in the summer of 2027, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. esportsworldcup.com
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