VALORANT Champions 2026 Draws 606K Peak Viewers

VALORANT Champions 2026 opened in Shanghai and reached a peak concurrent audience of more than 605,800 viewers on opening day, topping the opening-day peak from last year in Paris. Only two matches were played that day.

The most-watched match was Paper Rex versus Team Liquid, which Paper Rex won 2-1. G2 Esports defeated TYLOO 2-0 in the other scheduled match.

More than 280 unique channels carried opening day broadcasts, up from about 230 channels at the previous championship. English-language broadcasts averaged 11.8% more viewers on opening day than they did a year earlier.

It is too early to draw firm conclusions about longer-term viewing trends after only two matches. Regional audiences commonly tune in when teams from their area play, which can affect short-term figures by language and channel.

VALORANT Champions 2026 runs from September 24 to October 18 in Shanghai. Sixteen teams are competing for a $2.25 million prize pool.

Match results and concurrent viewership figures are available on the tournament’s official tracking pages. Organizers and community platforms have listed local watch party and in-person viewing options during the event.