Riot Games has shared initial details on what to expect from VALORANT Champions Tour 2023. A new format is implemented to give teams and players more opportunities to get to the top of VALORANT’s highest-level competitive scene.
VALORANT cares about its mass player base. However, it is still a competitive FPS title where many major tournaments occur based on it. So VALORANT is planning to make considerable changes to the system so that more players can participate and be rewarded regardless of who they are and where they belong.
Starting from VCT 2023, VALORANT is planning to grow the regional Challengers circuit alongside the expansion of the game. It will help bring up-and-coming talents into the scene who might have otherwise not gotten the chance to get to the top.
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The New and Expanded Challenger Format
Unlike before, 2023’s Challengers will include more than 20 leagues throughout the world. It will allow every VALORANT player from all around the world to have a chance to compete in VCT. These Challengers Leagues will start with open qualifiers and send the best teams into two splits of multi-week regular season play.
After that, all the challenger splits will result in a playoff tournament where a single team will be victorious and called the league’s champion. The major Challenger leagues will receive enough attention and reach so that the players and the teams can show their talents to the world.
Total Challenger Leagues
Twenty-one Challengers leagues will take place across the globe: four in the Americas, seven in EMEA, and 10 in APAC. The leagues are listed below:
Americas
- NA
- LATAM North
- Brazil
- LATAM South
EMEA
- Northern Europe
- Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, and Portugal)
- France and Benelux
- Dach (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)
- Turkey
- Eastern Europe
- MENA
Pacific
- South Asia (Includes India)
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Malaysia and Singapore
- Korea
- Japan
- Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Oceania
Challengers Ascension
Riot Games want to make sure that hard-working working and talented teams get a chance to show their skills to the world where they dedicate their time and effort. That’s why in 2023, VALORANT is expanding its budget and reach where they give enough attention to the teams that deserve the extra care.
So, Challenger leagues within each of the three territories will culminate in a new event series that will crown the best team in their territory. Teams who will get the crowns at the three Challengers Ascension tournaments will get a place in the next year’s international league.
How will Teams Get Promoted to the International Leagues?
Riot Games will expand its international leagues every year. Every year, one team will receive a slot in the international league until hitting a cap of 14 teams in 2027. Teams who will win Challengers Ascension will receive a two-year promotion into their territory’s international league.
The teams who will get promoted to international leagues will get the chance to prove themselves against the already invited international league teams during the VALORANT Championship season. They will also receive similar league benefits and an equal chance to qualify for Masters and Champions. So, no teams will get special treatment.
Challenger Promotion Roadmap
Riot Games previously released a competitive roadmap for 2023. Players will get the chance to compete in tournaments within the game. Riot Games is planning to integrate VCT’s system directly within the game. It will make it easier for the teams, players, and developers to make the journey smooth for everyone.
Starting from 2024, the top teams arising from the in-game system will get a chance to qualify directly from the game into Challengers. However, there will be countless teams fighting for the same spots in the Challengers. So get ready because there’s a huge path ahead if you are willing to take VALORANT’s new challenge to the top.
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