How to Lock Valorant Pick'Ems Malaysia Time: Champions Shanghai 2026
Published: 2026-09-10
Pick'Ems Open 10 September, Lock 24 September MYT
Valorant Champions Shanghai Pick'Ems opened at 08:00 MYT on 10 September 2026 and lock the moment the Group Stage bo3s tip off on 24 September, and because Shanghai runs on GMT+8, the Malaysian clock matches the venue clock minute-for-minute. That gives Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Johor Bahru fans a full 14 days, roughly 336 hours, to study the four groups and slot their predictions in-client or on the web. Riot calls Champions "the biggest event on the VCT calendar", and the Pick'Ems track ships alongside the Patch 13.05 anti-cheat penalty rework. Miss the lock, miss the buddy.
Redx Game topped up Champions Shanghai briefings for viewers earlier this week; this page covers only the picks side. Every reward here is cosmetic. Nothing in this event costs a single VP or Kingdom Credit. Boleh tahan, considering how much some skin bundles want out of a wallet.
Champions Shanghai Key Dates for Malaysian Fans
Champions runs 24 September through 18 October 2026 across two Shanghai venues: Jing'an Sports Center (5,600 seats) for the Group Stage, then Mercedes-Benz Arena (18,000 seats) for playoffs and the final. Malaysia sits in the same GMT+8 window as Shanghai, so a Malaysian viewer in Penang or Ipoh does not have to sacrifice sleep. Live tip-offs land in local primetime rather than the 03:00–06:00 MYT graveyard shift most overseas events force on us.
Here is the shape of it: the opening round pairs seed 1 versus seed 4 while seed 2 meets seed 3, all bo3 double-elimination, group winners and runners-up advance to the playoff bracket. NRG defends the 2025 title. Four Chinese teams — TYLOO, JD Gaming, Edward Gaming, and Xi Lai Gaming — play in front of a home crowd for the first time. Redx Game has stocked Valorant Points in MYR for anyone stacking a Champions bundle before the final weekend.
Smart Picks from the Pacific Angle
Four Pacific slots went to Paper Rex, T1, Nongshim RedForce, and Global Esports. PRX carries the Malaysian rooting story because Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee, from Selangor, sits on the 2026 lineup alongside Jinggg, f0rsakeN, invy, and something — a five-man roster that has closed exactly one Pacific split champion inside the last two competitive years and is the shortest odds among Pacific teams to reach at least the top-eight bracket. A Selangor Red Giants supporter can back PRX without feeling disloyal to the local grassroots scene, and Yamato of TODAK's audience overlaps almost fully. Senang gila to root for a homegrown name on a bo3 international stage.
On the picks board, seed weight matters. Riot's rule that same-region teams cannot share a group forces the Chinese quartet into different pods, which means PRX faces at most one Chinese roster in the Group Stage. Historically the Pacific has landed one team in the playoff bracket at the last three Champions, so picking exactly one Pacific advance is the mean-regression bet, though PRX and T1 both winning out earns real bonus points on the exact-placement board if you feel brave enough to fade the base rate. Bonus points come from correctly guessing exact placements, not just advancement.
Common Pick'Ems Questions Malaysians Ask
Is there a VP or MYR entry fee?
No. Champions Pick'Ems costs zero VP and zero Kingdom Credits. Rewards are gun buddies, a title, and a badge only.
Can I lock picks from Malaysia on mobile?
The desktop client and the valorantesports.com web page both accept locks; Riot has not built a mobile client. A KL commuter can lock via the web browser on any phone signed into Riot Account.
What time does the lock actually happen on 24 September?
Group Stage tip-off is scheduled inside Shanghai afternoon hours, so lock-in for Malaysian viewers falls in the same MYT afternoon window. The countdown timer in-client is the source of truth.
Do wrong picks get any reward?
Yes. Participation earns the "Calculated" title even on zero correct calls. Top 50% earns the Stone of Heaven buddy, top 20% earns the Pick'Ems Master buddy, and a perfect card earns the 100% title.
Does topping up VP at REDX Game affect my picks?
Not at all. Picks are cosmetic and account-level. Redx Game only helps if you also plan to grab a Champions 2026 bundle skin during the tournament run.
Can I edit my picks after locking?
Group Stage picks can be edited until the Group Stage begins; after that they freeze. Playoff picks open in a separate window later in the tournament.
Where Ringgit Sits on VP Right Now
Nothing in Pick'Ems asks for money, but many Malaysian fans do plan a Champions Collection or skin refresh around the event. On the ladder that matters, 1,000 VP goes for under RM 40 through REDX Game's Valorant top-up versus RM 47 on the App Store price sheet, a roughly RM 7 gap. Stack that across a 5,350 VP Champions bundle and the DuitNow-paid route saves more than RM 30 versus buying through Apple's local billing. Murah giler for the same in-game bundle.
MYR pricing on Redx Game is fixed in ringgit, no surprise foreign-exchange loading on the checkout. Bank card, TNG eWallet, and Boost each clear in the advertised 1–3 minute delivery window most order runs. Nothing here promises a lower Riot price; the gap comes from local billing, not from any Riot discount.
Common Pick'Ems Mistakes to Avoid
Locking with the wrong Riot Account is the classic own-goal. If your rewards land on a smurf, they do not merge back to the main. Sign into the account that actually plays before you touch the picks board.
Waiting until 23 September to lock is another one. Server load spikes as the lock timer runs down, and the client's Pick'Ems tab has been known to load stale group data during traffic peaks. Kuching and Kota Kinabalu players routing over slower peninsula backbones feel this the hardest.
Picking on gut alone when your gut is a fan account rarely earns the exact-placement bonus. Fans over-index on PRX; the numbers say only one Pacific team usually advances to playoffs. Split your predictions between hope and history.
Best Malaysian Ways to Watch and Talk Picks
The Champions co-stream in Bahasa Malaysia usually lands on the official VCT Pacific channel, so a Shah Alam living-room session with roti canai and teh ais is enough setup for a full evening of watching whichever Pacific bo3 lands in your group. Redx Game's community Discord runs picks polls each Champions cycle, and a Champions viewing party in Bukit Bintang is worth checking closer to the final weekend when brackets get spicy. If you plan to grab a Champions Collection skin between matches, the Valorant top-up ringgit page keeps the bundle cost off your Apple bill.
For the pros to watch inside the Pacific slot, prioritise d4v41's clutches (his 1v3 record in Pacific League is the best among Malaysian players in the Champions cycle), Jinggg's Jett OP peeks that decide first-blood economy swings, and f0rsakeN's utility timing on smokes and mollys. A Team SMG or Selangor Red Giants MLBB fan crossing over to Valorant this week can lean on that trio as a fast primer to catch the Pacific storyline without needing a full VCT history lesson. Memang best if PRX makes it to the Mercedes-Benz Arena weekend, and even better if your picks card cashed a Master buddy on the way to 18 October.
