VCT Partnered Teams Revealed: 32 Rosters Locked [Confirmed]

Riot Games officially confirmed the 32 partnered teams for the upcoming VCT competitive circuit on October 18, cutting the partner pool from 40 organizations down to exactly eight teams per international league across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China regions. According to verified reports from Esports.gg, Riot evaluated more than 100 franchise applicants against five rigorous operational and community criteria before locking in the selection. In the Americas region, heavyweights including Sentinels, G2 Esports, 100 Thieves, NRG, , KRÜ Esports, LEVIATÁN, and MIBR secured their protected partner status, while legacy organizations like Cloud9 and Evil Geniuses missed the cut. Selected partners receive direct annual financial stipends, custom team capsule skin revenue, and guaranteed entry into their regional VCT Kickoff tournaments. However, Riot's transition to an open competitive ecosystem eliminates safe franchise pathways for global events. Moving forward, partner slots will not guarantee automatic advancement into regional Cups, Masters, or Champions, forcing every roster to earn international stage berths purely through match victories and open-bracket progression.