Valorant Challengers South Asia 2026 registrations close as NODWIN prepares broadcast kickoff
The competitive Valorant season in South Asia is about to get going. NODWIN Gaming, working with Riot Games, has confirmed that registrations for the Valorant Challengers South Asia (VCSA) 2026 Split 1 closed on March 4. Open Qualifiers begin on March 7 and run through to March 11, with the broadcast phase kicking off on March 16.
How the format works
The VCSA 2026 uses a multi-stage structure. Open Qualifiers run as a single-elimination bracket with best-of-three matches. The top ten teams from that stage advance to the OQ Playoffs, which switch to a double-elimination format. Five teams make it through to Split 1.
Split 1 itself features eight teams in a single round-robin: the five OQ qualifiers plus three direct invites drawn from the top three finishers in VCSA 2025. That gives 28 matches across 14 broadcast days, all best-of-three. The top six advance to Split 2 while the bottom two drop into a promotion and relegation stage.
Split 2 follows a similar round-robin before funnelling the top four into a playoff bracket. The grand final is a best-of-five series to crown the 2026 VCSA champion. The full circuit provides a direct pathway to the VCT Last Chance Qualifier, giving South Asian teams a genuine shot at the global stage.
Who can compete
Players need a minimum rank of Immortal 1 or above from V25 Act 6 to be eligible. The tournament is open to teams from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives. Premier Team seeding is based on V25 Acts 4, 5 and 6.
Game Changers runs alongside
NODWIN is also running Game Changers South Asia 2026 in parallel, featuring two competitive splits with open qualifiers. The Split 2 winner earns a place at the Game Changers Pacific Stage, giving the region more international representation than previous years.
All matches will be streamed on the NODWIN Gaming and Valorant Esports South Asia YouTube channels. The Split 1 Playoffs are pencilled in for April 8 and 9.
