VCT's Stage 1: Challengers 2 qualifier will go through drastic format changes.
Riot has addressed widespread criticism of the first qualifier's format by implementing changes for the remainder of Stage 1, which encompasses a two Challengers and a Masters event.
The first qualifier featured only Bo1 games up until the round of 32, while only the first round will be Bo1 going forward. Riot has also reduced the signup limit to 232 teams, inviting back 12 teams from the first qualifier—the losers of the round of 16 and quarterfinals. Riot has made a one-time exception for the upcoming qualifier, placing 14 teams directly into the round of 128.
This means teams such as
Alliance
Alliance
Europe
Rank #17
Fearoth
Enzo Mestari
luckeRRR
Niels Jasiek
kAdavraa
Thomas Johner
hype
Tautvydas Paldavicius
,
Team Vitality
Team Vitality
Europe
Rank #27
bramz
Bayram Ben Redjeb
M4CHINA
Ouali Manset
vakk
Vakaris Bebravičius
feqew
Lukas Petrauskas
ceNder
Jokūbas Labutis
, and
HEET
HEET
Europe
Rank #16
hussaR
Bence Huszár
DeadFox
Bence Böröcz
crazyd33R
Gábor Német
Barcode
Kevin Bana
bzt
Renátó Bárányos
will start in the round of 128 alongside European giants
G2 Esports
G2 Esports
Europe
Rank #1
Mixwell
Oscar Cañellas
zeek
Aleksander Zygmunt
ardiis
Ardis Svarenieks
paTiTek
Patryk Fabrowski
pyth
Jacob Mourujärvi
,
Guild Esports
Guild Esports
Europe
Rank #9
Sayf
Saif Jibraeel
Yacine
Yacine Laghmari
bonkar
Malkolm Rench
draken
William Sundin
Leo
Leo Jannesson
,
Fnatic
Fnatic
Europe
Rank #4
Boaster
Jake Howlett
Mistic
James Orfila
tsack
Konstantinos Theodoropoulos
doma
Domagoj Fancev
Moe40
Muhammad Hariff
and
Team Liquid
Team Liquid
Europe
Rank #7
Jamppi
Elias Olkkonen
Kryptix
James Affleck
L1NK
Travis Mendoza
soulcas
Dom Sulcas
ScreaM
Adil Benrlitom
—the four teams that fell in the previous quarterfinals.
The format will then repeat for the third Challengers' qualifier. In the announcement, Riot did not reveal whether this change would carry into the second and third Stages of the Valorant Champions Tour.
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