Champions Shanghai: How Map Vetoes Expose False VALORANT Favorites

Introduction — The Better Team Doesn't Play in a Vacuum

Valorant is a Tactical First-Person Shooter esport, more frequently called a Tactical Hero Shooter as per unique character abilities. Two things set Tactical FPS apart from other FPS esports, the first one being the “solid” mechanics, like 3D movement and limited maneuverability. The second one, would be what we call Map Pool and Veto. 

Generally, team rating in the Pro Valorant scene reflects mostly team/individual skill rather than “per map” performance, which means even if a team is considered a favorite, the massive map pool and veto system offers quite the balance that would shift those odds, and it’s sometimes overlooked compared to skillset. Understanding the veto can therefore help identify what we might call a “false favorite”: not necessarily a team that shouldn't be favored, but one whose odds may suggest a larger advantage than the actual map matchup justifies.

This becomes particularly relevant at Champions Shanghai, where 16 teams from four regions compete from September 24 to October 18 for the 2026 world championship.

How a VALORANT Map Veto Works

Generally, VALORANT is played on a seven-map pool, with teams using bans and picks to determine which maps will be played. In a best-of-three, Team A bans one map, followed by Team B. Team A then picks the first map, while Team B chooses the starting side. Team B picks the second map, with Team A choosing the side. Both teams then ban another map, leaving the remaining map as the decider.

Best-of-five series work differently. Both teams normally ban one map first, leaving five maps available, before alternating map picks and side selections.

The Grand Final is the important exception. In a double-elimination format, the upper-bracket team receives a veto advantage by banning two maps before the five-map series is determined.

This creates a strategic battle before the match even starts.

Overall Win Rate vs. Map-Specific Strength

It is very common to rate teams based on their win rate in Valorant, and while this rating reflects on the skills and performance of the team as a whole, it doesn’t really tell the full story when it comes to matchups between teams.

Let’s assume Team A has won 70% of its recent matches, while Team B has won 55%. This may look as if Team A is significantly stronger, but if we broke down those results by map, Team A might have performed exceptionally well on 3 maps, somewhat good on two other maps, and felt weak on the remaining maps. Team B in that scenario might have a map pool that naturally allows it to remove one of Team A’s strongest maps, while comfortably competing on several of the others.

This doesn’t mean that Team A is now bad, but rather the gap between ratings is not quite as large. Which is why, alongside overall match statistics and parameters, it is important to consider map win rates with opponent potential.

The Permanent Ban

What is particularly interesting in map pools and the veto systems, is that some teams tend to abuse it when it comes to rather difficult or uncomfortable maps, by constantly or historically banning a specific map in the current meta and map rotation. 

While this might seem like a successful strategy for some teams, and it does provide them the certainty of not playing this difficult map, it is also a two-edged sword, as enemy teams now have more information and can plan the rest of the veto with this information in mind. 

At this point the important question becomes not simply whether a team has a permanent ban, but rather what does that permanent ban allow its opponent to do with everything that’s left.

When an Underdog Wins the Veto

Let’s draw an easy-to-understand scenario.

The favorite's two strongest maps are Maps X and Y, but it almost always bans Map Z. The underdog knows Map Z will probably disappear anyway, so it uses its own ban on Map X, and suddenly, one of the favorite's strongest maps and its predictable permanent ban are both gone. The underdog then picks a map where it has been performing well and where the favorite has looked uncomfortable.

While this doesn’t guarantee that the underdog will win, it does actually give them a much better chance and perhaps even secure one victory. 

This is where the veto changed the conditions. Before the veto, everyone was evaluating every realistic map combination; after the veto, we’re evaluating only three specific maps. The question then becomes whether the original odds still accurately represent the matchup that survived the veto.

Map Pool Depth in BO3 vs. BO5

There will always be differences between Bo3 and Bo5 series in any set tournament of any esports genre. But Tactical FPS games, especially Valorant, offer a unique depth between Bo3 and Bo5. 

Champions Shanghai gives us both situations in the same tournament. Its 16 teams are divided into four groups, with every Group Stage match played as a BO3 and only eight teams advancing. The double-elimination playoffs also use BO3s until the Lower Final and Grand Final switch to BO5. A shallow but specialized map pool may therefore survive earlier rounds more comfortably before being exposed when five maps become relevant.

What Bettors Should Read from the Veto

Concerning what we have discussed so far, the following is not a general rule, but quite a good exercise to predict accurate outcomes occasionally.

We can start by identifying each team’s usual first ban or permanent ban. After that compare their strongest maps with other teams and see where and how those strengths overlap. 

It is also important to look at the most recent map performances from each team, and not just season-long historical statistics, as agent compositions, patches, tactical changes and roster changes can all alter how good a team can perform on a particular map.

It is quite significant to also take into account sample size. A team displaying a 100%-win rate on a specific map is quite impressive until you realized that team has played this map twice in the last 10 matches. 

Last but not least, pre-veto and post-veto probabilities can differ. This also matters when following odds on a platform such as Dexsport. Pre-veto odds evaluate several possible map combinations; once the veto is complete, bettors know exactly which maps survived and can reassess whether the original difference between favorite and underdog still makes sense.

Conclusion — Don't Bet the Logo; Bet the Maps

Favorites are favorites for a reason, yes. But being the better Valorant team doesn’t always mean every possible map combination gives you the same advantage. 

Just like a favorite can remain the favorite after a bad veto, even though the size of their advantage shrinks considerably, an underdog getting comfortable maps doesn’t necessarily mean they will win. The veto provides simply more information. And while overall rankings tell us which team generally performs better, map analysis tells us a bit more on how the series might be played and whose strengths it might favor.

At Champions Shanghai, the better question isn’t just which team is stronger? But what maps will the weaker team use to beat the giants?

FAQ

1. What is a VALORANT map veto?

It is the pre-match process through which teams ban and select maps from the active pool until the maps for the series are determined.

2. What is a permanent ban?

A permanent ban is a map that a team consistently removes, usually because it considers that map one of its weakest options.

3. Can an underdog win the veto?

Yes. An underdog can remove a favorite's strongest map while steering the series toward maps where the matchup is considerably closer.

4. Why aren't overall win rates enough?

A strong overall record can hide significant differences between individual maps. The actual maps surviving the veto may favor one team much more than the overall record suggests.

5. Is map depth more important in a BO5?

Generally, yes. More maps must be played, giving teams fewer opportunities to hide weaker parts of their map pool.

6. What format does Champions Shanghai 2026 use?

Sixteen teams begin in four groups, with eight advancing to a double-elimination playoff. Matches are primarily BO3, while the Lower Final and Grand Final are BO5.