VALORANT Challengers 2026 EMEA: Stage 1

VALORANT Challengers 2026 EMEA: Stage 1 is an online tournament organized by Riot Games featuring 14 teams competing in a group stage. The teams are split into four groups—two groups consist of three teams each, while the other two have four teams each. All group stage matches are played in a best-of-three (Bo3) format. The top two teams from each group advance to the Playoffs, which use a double-elimination bracket. Most Playoff matches are also Bo3, except for the Lower Bracket Final and the Grand Final, which are played as best-of-five (Bo5) series.