Weibo Gaming Returns as VCT China Cuts Partners to Eight for 2027

The eight organizations selected as partners in VCT China (VCT CN) for the 2027–2028 cycle announced their places on Monday, with league operator TJ Sports, the joint venture between Tencent and Riot Games, reposting each team’s announcement. The league is cutting its partner roster from 10 to eight as Riot shrinks partner lists in all four regions.

Six partners were renewed: EDward Gaming (EDG), JD Gaming (JDG), Bilibili Gaming (BLG), TYLOO, All Gamers and Trace Esports. Xi Lai Gaming (XLG), which earned its place through VCT Ascension China in 2024 and has competed as a visitor team since 2025, moves up to partner status. Weibo Gaming (WBG) is the only organization joining without a VCT CN slot in the 2026 season.

FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), Wolves Esports, Nova Esports and Titan Esports Club (TEC) lose their partner status, and visitor team Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) was not selected.

People close to TJ Sports told The Esports Advocate that the selection prioritized financial commitment and the resources of teams’ parent platforms, such as contractual guarantees for celebrity activations and traffic support from Weibo, Bilibili and JD.com. JDG’s parent company is JD.com, while BLG and WBG are backed by Bilibili and Weibo, respectively.

WBG previously competed in the VALORANT China National Tournament (VCNT), and it brings both an operating record across other titles and access to Weibo’s content ecosystem.

In WBG’s announcement video, Yang Xin, general manager of the Weibo Esports Club, called VALORANT an important part of Weibo’s long-term plans and said the club was prepared for sustained investment. He said WBG would put training and team building first, backed by resources, competitive support and player welfare.

The partner list arrives alongside a broader overhaul of the circuit.

Globally, VCT 2027 replaces regional leagues with a tournament circuit of Open Qualifiers, Kickoff, Cups, Masters and Champions. Partners keep direct entry into Kickoff, and in China the Kickoff field will add two visitor teams and two open qualifiers to the eight partners. Non-partner teams receive fixed payments for qualifying: $100,000 for a Kickoff or Cup, $200,000 for Masters and $400,000 for Champions, according to Riot’s June announcement.

VCT CN will also move away from playing nearly all regional matches in its Shanghai studio. Its 2027 schedule is a three-city domestic tour: Kickoff in Hangzhou from Jan. 14 to Feb. 7, running alongside regional Kickoffs in São Paulo, Berlin and Bangkok; Cup 1 in Wuhan from April 29 to May 23, alongside Mexico City, Warsaw and Manila; and Cup 2 in Shanghai from Aug. 5 to 29, alongside Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Internationally, the season opens with Masters Seoul from Feb. 20 to March 3, followed by Masters Valencia in Spain from June 5 to 20. It ends in Austin, Texas, from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10, where the Game Changers Championship will be held alongside VALORANT Champions for the first time.

In the other three regions, Riot’s cut left out organizations including Cloud9 and KIWOOM DRX, as previously reported by The Esports Advocate.