The other regions have yet to announce any format changes but are expected to follow EMEA.
Riot Games have revealed new details on their vision and format for the EMEA league for VCT 2023. The announcement, posted on the official VALORANT Esports website and on their official social media, shows a detailed look at what we can expect from the league in the 2023 season.
Based on the announcement from Riot Games, new features will be introduced in EMEA for the next season. Quoting Riot on their vision for the circuit next year:
“Coming into 2023 we will continue to give the world’s greatest players a chance to shine, whilst also pushing them to the limits. Our competitions will be filled with fun and personality, but when the going gets tough, it’ll get tough. Fans will feel the sweet taste of victory, and the pangs of defeat, in what will be our most intense and action-packed season yet. “
Format tweak
There will be some changes in the format for VCT 2023, especially for the three leagues – a system used for the first time for VALORANT. Firstly, there will be 10 officially partnered team taking part in the league. Before the league matches start, however, a kick-off tournament will be played in Sao Paolo in February
Part One – Sao Paolo
All thirty partnered teams will descend to Sao Paolo in February 2023 for the first major tournament of VCT 2023. There is no official name for it yet, but it will be the kick-off for the new VCT season. The 30 teams will be playing against each other in a LAN environment to win the additional spot for their leagues for 2024. After the tournament ends, the EMEA League will begin officially.
Part Two – EMEA League Matches
The league matches will start in March, where the 10 partnered teams will compete against each other in a round-robin style competition – stretching over an eight-week period. The matches will be played on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for seven out of those eight weeks, with a “Super Week” to complete the circuit at the end. All of the matches will be streamed live, as well played in front of a live audience at the Messe Berlin Charlottenburg, the new home of VALORANT in EMEA.
The top six teams will then move to the EMEA playoffs, where the best team in the region will be crowned. The top three teams will then qualify for the 2023 Masters event in June.
Part Three – Masters, LCQ, Ascension and Champions
The Last Chance Qualifiers will begin in July, where teams will battle to secure a spot at Champions. At the same time, the Ascension tournament will take place. Teams qualifying Ascension will be coming from the Challengers, and the winning team will have a chance to secure themselves a spot into VCT 2024.
Champions 2023 will then see the best teams from all three leagues battle it out to see who the VALORANT Champion of the year will be.
