MANILA — The Philippines is gearing up to welcome elite esports competitors from across the globe as Riot Games brings the inaugural Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific Cup to Manila, scheduled from April 29 to May 23, 2027.
The upcoming tournament will showcase premier teams from the Pacific region vying for coveted slots at the Valorant Masters Valencia event in Spain. This marks a major pivot in Riot Games’ competitive landscape, replacing traditional league stages—which were primarily hosted in South Korea during the franchise era—with a fresh tournament-driven format for the 2027 competitive circuit.
Alongside Manila, three other international cities—Mexico City, Warsaw, and Wuhan—have been selected to host regional cups as part of the overhauled global ecosystem.
Under the revamped structure, the Pacific circuit will introduce dedicated regional contests for South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Philippines will compete under the Pacific Wild Card region, alongside Malaysia, Singapore, and neighboring Southeast Asian territories.
While these modifications introduce alternative qualification routes for squads operating outside the long-standing partner ecosystem, local Filipino rosters face a competitive battle against other Southeast Asian teams to secure berths in global events. Even so, the country’s representation on the international stage remains strong through local players competing under established regional organizations within the VCT Pacific circuit.
Global Esports features Filipino standouts Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza and Xavier “xavi8k” Juan, while prominent organizations like Paper Rex and Team Secret have consistently integrated Filipino players into their lineups. Team Secret’s current roster highlights local talents Kelly “kellyS” Sedillo and Jhian “Zeus” Dela Vega.
Team Secret holds a deep connection to the country’s competitive Valorant heritage, having evolved from the core roster of Bren Esports, which proudly represented the Philippines at the 2021 Valorant Champions global tournament.
The squad later transitioned into the VCT Pacific league when the partnership model launched in 2023, undergoing various roster adjustments over the years.