VALORANT Masters London 2026: Everything You Need to Know About the Copper Box Arena Event

Twelve of the best VALORANT teams on the planet. Four regions. One million dollars on the line. And it’s all happening right here in Stratford.

VALORANT Masters London 2026 runs from 6 to 21 June at the Copper Box Arena inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – and if you haven’t been paying attention to competitive VALORANT, now is the time to start. This is the second global event of the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour, the pinnacle of Riot Games’ esports circuit, and it’s the first time Masters has ever come to London. It is, to put it plainly, a big deal.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan who’s been watching every VCT match since Stage 1, or someone who’s just heard there’s something massive happening in the park and wants to be part of it – here’s everything you need to know.

What is VALORANT Masters London 2026?

VALORANT is a tactical team-based first-person shooter from Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends. Players choose from a roster of “Agents”, each with unique abilities, and compete in two teams of five across a series of rounds. It’s precise, strategic and fiercely competitive – closer to chess with guns than a traditional shoot-em-up.

The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is Riot Games’ global esports league, split into four regional leagues – Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China. Masters is the mid-season international event where the top teams from each region come together to compete. Champions, held later in the year, is the world championship. Masters is where you find out who’s on form, who’s peaking, and who’s ready to go all the way.

Masters London is only the second Masters event of 2026. The teams who perform well here earn Championship Points that feed directly into qualification for Champions. Every match matters.

The Format: Swiss Stage and Double Elimination Playoffs

The tournament runs across three weeks with two distinct stages.

Swiss Stage – 6 to 10 June

Eight teams enter the Swiss Stage: the second and third seeds from each of the four regions. In the Swiss format, teams are matched based on their current record rather than a fixed bracket, so you always play opponents at your level. Teams progress once they reach two wins; teams go home once they hit two losses. The top four sides from the Swiss Stage advance to the Playoffs.

Double Elimination Playoffs – 13 to 21 June

The four Swiss Stage qualifiers are joined by the four top seeds who skip straight through – giving eight teams in a double elimination bracket. Lose once and you drop to the lower bracket; lose twice and you’re done. The final takes place on 21 June.

The Teams: Who’s Playing at the Copper Box

Twelve teams qualified for Masters London, representing all four international regions. Four of them – the top seeds – go straight to Playoffs without having to fight through the Swiss Stage.

Direct to Playoffs:

• G2 Esports (Americas) – one of the most recognisable names in esports, G2 have a huge following across Europe and a roster consistently performing at the top of their region
  
• Team Heretics (EMEA) – the EMEA first seed after their Stage 1 performance, Heretics are London’s home team in all but name and will have the crowd behind them
  
• Paper Rex (Pacific) – the Singaporean side with one of the most aggressive, high-tempo playstyles in VALORANT – expect chaos and brilliance in equal measure
  
• EDward Gaming (China) – China’s top seed and one of the most technically accomplished teams in the world

Swiss Stage:

• Leviatán and NRG (Americas)
• Team Vitality and FUT Esports (EMEA)
• FULL SENSE and Global Esports (Pacific)
• XLG Esports and Dragon Ranger Gaming (China)

With Heretics as the EMEA first seed and G2 as one of the tournament favourites, the storylines write themselves.

The Copper Box Arena: An Olympic Venue Rebuilt for Esports

The Copper Box Arena was built for the 2012 London Olympics, where it hosted handball and modern pentathlon events, and the goalball competition at the Paralympic Games. Named for its distinctive copper-clad facade, it opened to the public in July 2013 after a significant transformation from its Olympic configuration.

Today it’s a 7,500-capacity multi-sport venue used for basketball, boxing, gymnastics, and now – for the first time – a global VALORANT tournament. The London Lions basketball team call it home. It hosted British Championship boxing. And on 6 June 2026, it becomes the centre of the competitive VALORANT world.

The arena sits inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a short walk from Stratford station and right in the heart of one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in European history. The same park that hosted the 2012 Olympics, that’s now home to the London Stadium, V&A East, Sadler’s Wells East and – handily for you – Draughts.

The Board Game Connection: Agents, Tactics and Codenames

VALORANT is built around Agents – operatives with distinct skills, covering and flanking, holding sites and executing attacks. It’s a game of information, bluffing and rapid tactical decision-making.

Sound familiar? Codenames runs on exactly that energy. Two rival spymasters send coded messages to their operatives, trying to identify their agents without giving anything away to the opposition. The tension of a round where you’ve given a clue that could go catastrophically wrong? Pure VALORANT. It’s one of the most-played games in our library and it’s perfect warm-up material for a day of watching elite tactical play.

Come to Draughts Before the Match

Here’s the thing about going to an event at the Copper Box: you’re already in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. And if you’re already in the park, you’re two minutes’ walk from us.

We’re at 5 Aquatics Walk – a bar, restaurant and board game café with over 1,000 games, a full kitchen and a cocktail bar that takes no shortcuts. Doors open from midday, and we’re the ideal place to arrive early, get some food, play a game and let the pre-event anticipation build properly before heading over to the Copper Box.

We’re also the obvious answer to the post-match question of “right, where now?” The Playoffs run until 21 June with late finishes – and we’re right there. Order food, debrief the match over a game, and have the evening you actually want rather than rushing for the tube with 7,000 other people.

Book a table in advance at draughtslondon.com – evenings and weekends during the tournament will fill up fast.

Practical Tips for VALORANT Masters London

• Tickets sold out fast – initial waves went within minutes. Monitor the official VALORANT Esports ticket portal and Ticketmaster UK for any restocked allocations. The Swiss Stage (6-10 June) and the Playoffs (13-21 June) are separate ticket events, so check both.
• Get there early – the Copper Box holds 7,500 people and the queuing system can back up before big matches. Plan to be at the park at least 45 minutes before doors.
• Stratford is well connected – served by the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth Lines, DLR and National Rail. Walking time from Stratford station to the Copper Box is around 10 minutes through the park.
• Make a day of it – the park has plenty to explore. The V&A East Museum is open throughout June and the Music is Black Festival programme runs events across the same period.
• Draughts is your base – book a table for before or after the match at draughtslondon.com. We’re inside the park at 5 Aquatics Walk.

Frequently Asked Questions