Pick’Ems are Valorant’s official esports prediction game: you forecast which teams advance at Champions Shanghai. Start: September 10, 2026, playable in the client (esports tab) and on the web. You get free rewards just for participating.
What are Pick’Ems – and where do I play them?
Pick’Ems are the official prediction game of the VALORANT Champions Tour. Instead of aiming yourself, you predict: which teams survive the group stage? Who marches through the playoffs? Correct predictions earn points and unlock cosmetic rewards – completely free.
With Patch 13.05, Riot confirmed it: Pick’Ems for Champions Shanghai open on September 10, 2026. The season’s grand final runs from September 24 to October 18 in Shanghai – 16 teams from the four regions Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China fight for the title. Everything about the tournament and the expected skin collection is on our Champions 2026 page.
You can lock in your picks in two places – both use the same account:
- In game: Launch Valorant → open the esports tab at the top → select Pick’Ems and place your teams. Done in two minutes.
- On the web: Log in with your Riot account on the official VALORANT Esports site and predict there – handy on the go, or if you prefer sorting brackets on a big screen.
- Check before the tournament starts: You can usually still change your picks until the first match – after that they are locked.
How the scoring system works
The principle is simple, but the details decide the leaderboard:
| Phase | What you predict | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Which teams advance | Points per correctly predicted team |
| Placement bonus | The exact placement within the group | Extra points if the order is right too |
| Playoffs | Winners of each round up to the champion | Points per round – later rounds count more |
For context: at the 2025 Champions event, the maximum possible score was 400. Good to know: a perfect bracket (“100%”) has never been achieved in Pick’Ems history – there is even a legendary title for it that remains unclaimed to this day. So you don’t have to be perfect, just better than the crowd.
The rewards you can grab
- Participation reward: Just for submitting your picks you get cosmetic rewards – at Champions events usually titles and buddies themed around the tournament.
- Leaderboard buddies: Depending on your score compared to the community, you unlock additional buddy variants.
- Top-20% bonus: Based on past events, predicting better than 80% of all players earns a special “Master” variant of the buddy.
- The 100% title: For a completely flawless bracket – unclaimed so far. Maybe you’ll be the first.
💡 Don’t mix them up: Pick’Ems rewards are free and independent of the Champions bundle expected in the shop mid-September. And if you watch the matches on Twitch, you can collect drops on top – you’ll find the best-known German streamers on our streamer page.
Picking strategy: how to outscore your friends
Anyone can blindly pick favourites. If you want to win the leaderboard, pick systematically – here are our Champions tips:
- Current form beats reputation: Look at the most recent international events and regional playoffs, not a team’s fame from two years ago. A team that just qualified in dominant fashion is hotter than a tired title defender.
- Weigh the regions realistically: Four regions, sixteen teams – but strength is never spread evenly. Check how the regions performed against each other at the latest Masters events.
- Group order = bonus points: Most people only predict WHO advances. The extra points for exact placement are the easiest way to pull ahead of the average.
- One brave underdog is enough: When everyone submits the same bracket, the one uncomfortable pick decides. A well-reasoned outsider with a feasible bracket path pushes you forward – five wild picks ruin you.
- Wait until the deadline: Right before the tournament you get the freshest info on roster changes and form. Submit early, but review your picks once more on September 23.
The key dates at a glance
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 10 | Pick’Ems open (client + web) |
| ~Mid-September | Champions bundle reveal expected (status page) |
| September 24 | Champions Shanghai starts – picks are locked |
| October 18 | Grand final in Shanghai |
By the way: if you want to understand all tournament formats, our esports page has the complete overview of VCT, Masters and Champions – and the glossary explains every term from “bracket” to “lower round”.
Pick’Ems: history, records and why “100%” is almost impossible
Pick’Ems have been part of the big VALORANT tournaments since the first Champions and Masters events. Every tournament, hundreds of thousands of fans predict along worldwide – which is exactly what makes the leaderboards so competitive. A flawless bracket across the group stage and every playoff round has never been publicly confirmed: a single upset in the playoffs breaks the perfect run – and underdog stories are a tradition at Valorant events.
So realistically, Pick’Ems aren’t about a perfect 100% score – they’re about predicting better than the community average. You typically unlock the coveted “Master” buddy variants by finishing in the upper ranks, not by guessing every single match.
💡 Remember: You’re often scored not just on “who wins”, but on the exact placement within a group. Putting a team 1st instead of 2nd can cost or earn bonus points – that’s where the leaderboard is decided.
The 5 most common picking mistakes – and how to avoid them
- Picking by name only: Big names from last season are no guarantee. Look at current form and recent results, not just reputation.
- Ignoring the group draw: A strong team in a “group of death” can exit earlier than a mid team in an easy group. Always judge the matchup, not just raw strength.
- Regional bias: Not every region is equally strong every year. Blindly backing your favourite region leaves points on the table.
- Submitting late: Picks must be locked in before the first match of each phase. Miss the deadline and your prediction doesn’t count.
- Never checking back after locking: Between the group stage and playoffs you can often re-pick. If you don’t return after groups, you easily leave earned playoff points behind.
If you also want to know which agents dominate the meta at this event, our agent tier list and pick rates help you size up the teams.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
When do the Valorant Pick’Ems 2026 start?
On September 10, 2026 – confirmed in the Patch 13.05 notes. You predict Champions Shanghai (September 24 to October 18).
Where do I submit my Pick’Ems?
Either directly in the game via the esports tab or on the web on the official VALORANT Esports site – both with your Riot account, both synchronised.
Do Pick’Ems cost anything?
No, participation is completely free – and you get cosmetic rewards just for taking part.
What rewards do Pick’Ems give?
Participation rewards (e.g. titles), leaderboard buddies depending on your score, based on past events a “Master” buddy variant for the top 20% – and a legendary title for a perfect bracket that nobody has ever achieved.
Can I still change my picks?
Yes, usually until the first match of the respective phase starts. After that your picks are locked in.
What is the maximum score?
It depends on the event – at the 2025 Champions event the maximum was 400 points: points for advancing teams, bonus points for exact placements and playoff rounds.