The 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour circuit will feature at least seven international stops contested over LAN.
Game developer and tournament organizer Riot Games has revealed the VALORANT Champions Tour circuit calendar for 2023, with the first event in February having all yet-to-be-announced 30 partnered teams compete in a giant kickoff tournament in São Paulo, Brazil.
The new VCT 2023 circuit system will be headlined by three international leagues: EMEA, Pacific, and the Americas. Teams who meet the selection criteria will be provided with financial support from Riot Games in the form of an annual stipend as well as the exclusive chance to collaborate on unique in-game activations and products.
The international leagues will run with ten teams each on LAN in the following three cities:
- EMEA – Berlin, Germany 🇩🇪
- Pacific – Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷
- Americas – Los Angeles, USA 🇺🇸
ALSO READ: Velocity Gaming announce Deadly10 signing; import former Entity Gaming player Dav as coach
(Photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Instead of hosting the first split early in the year, the inaugural competition next year will kick off in February featuring all 30 partnered teams for three weeks of high-stakes play, with the winning side granting their regional league an additional berth at the first Masters tournament of the year.
Once the one-time kickoff tournament has concluded, the only other split for the year will follow in March, spanning eight weeks for all three regionals. Although the VCT 2023 season will only have one split in each regional league, it will feature two splits beginning in 2024.
The only split this year will allow partnered teams to first settle their operations in their respective host cities (Berlin for EMEA, Seoul for Pacific, and Los Angeles for Americas). In the meantime, the kickoff tournament will give a first look at all the new rosters and serve as a testing ground for all 30 partnered teams before they compete in their respective regional league.
“The VALORANT community’s passion inspired us to dream big and evolve the VALORANT Champions Tour to meet the overwhelming demand we’re seeing in every corner of the world,” said Whalen Rozelle, COO for Esports at Riot Games.
“In 2023, we’re taking everything we’ve learned, adding in new ideas and forming partnerships that will help us realize our dreams for the next edition of the VCT.”
Following the conclusion of the only split of the year, the top teams from each international league will then qualify for the Masters 2023 event in June, which will host an unconfirmed number of teams from each region. The top team from Masters will receive direct qualification to the most prestigious event of the year, Champions. Other teams will have the chance to qualify through the Last Chance Qualifiers in July. Only one team will secure the Champions berth in each of the three LCQ events.
Teams that do not make the international leagues can compete in Challengers, which is the second tier of competition below the international leagues, running concurrently with the first two splits. Each champion of the 21 sub-regional leagues, such as Challengers MY/SG and Challengers Korea, will be funneled into a Challengers Ascension tournament. Teams who secure a victory there will earn a spot in the following year’s international league.
Through the Challengers promotion system, the three international leagues will expand by one team each year, reaching a cap of 14 teams in 2027. Teams who win Challengers Ascension will be promoted to their region’s international league for two years.
Besides the main circuit, a global Game Changers Championship will return at the end of the year.
Below you can find the 2023 calendar for the VALORANT Champions Tour circuit:
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to like and follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Cover photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
