VALORANT Premier Stage V26A3 is almost here, and Riot has now shared the full May to June schedule for Act 3. This stage brings another full run of weekly Premier matches, with each week locked to a specific map before the playoffs close out the stage in late June.
According to Riot’s official VALORANT post, Contender and Invite divisions will play their playoff matches on June 20, while all other divisions will compete on June 21. Riot also notes that queue windows can differ by zone, so players should always check the Premier tab in-game for their exact local schedule.
VALORANT Premier Stage V26A3 Start Date
VALORANT Premier Stage V26A3 begins in early May, with Week 1 taking place from May 6 to May 10. The opening map for the stage is Ascent, giving teams a familiar tactical battleground to kick things off.
This stage runs across seven weekly map rotations, starting with Ascent and ending with Split. After that, qualified teams will move into the playoff window on June 20 and June 21, depending on division.
VALORANT Premier Stage V26A3 Full Schedule
Here is the full VALORANT Premier Stage V26A3 schedule:
| Week | Map | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Ascent | May 6 to May 10 |
| Week 2 | Lotus | May 13 to May 17 |
| Week 3 | Breeze | May 20 to May 24 |
| Week 4 | Pearl | May 27 to May 31 |
| Week 5 | Haven | June 3 to June 7 |
| Week 6 | Fracture | June 10 to June 14 |
| Week 7 | Split | June 17 to June 20 |
| Playoffs | Contender and Invite | June 20 to June 21 |
| Playoffs | Other Divisions | June 21 |
Weekly Map Rotation for Premier Stage V26A3
The Stage V26A3 map order gives teams a pretty balanced spread of VALORANT’s competitive map pool. Ascent starts the stage, which makes sense since it remains one of the most standard and readable maps for coordinated play. Lotus follows in Week 2, bringing heavier rotation pressure and more chaotic mid-round decision-making.
Breeze arrives in Week 3, which should test teams on long-range fights, lurk timings, and defensive discipline. Pearl then takes over Week 4, giving players a more traditional two-site map with strong mid control value. Haven in Week 5 will likely be one of the most important weeks of the stage, since three-site maps can expose weak calling very quickly.
Fracture in Week 6 should be another big test. It rewards teams that can attack from multiple angles and punish predictable setups. Split closes the weekly stage from June 17 to June 20, but the preview specifically notes that this week excludes Contender and Invite divisions.
VALORANT Premier Stage V26A3 Playoffs Explained
The playoff schedule is slightly different depending on the division. Contender and Invite teams will play from June 20 to June 21, while other divisions are scheduled for June 21.
That matters because Riot treats Contender and Invite as higher-level Premier divisions with different competitive rules and restrictions. Riot’s support page explains that Invite is the top division in Premier, while Contender and Invite teams also have roster and eligibility rules tied to Contender Eligible players.
Queue Windows Will Differ by Zone
The queue windows will differ by zone, and this is something every Premier team should double-check before match day. According to Riot, queue windows are unique to each zone and are scheduled around local time, usually in the evening. The exact queue window appears inside the Premier Hub.
The safest move is to check the Premier tab in the VALORANT client once the stage is active, especially if your team has players in different time zones.
