The dates, locations, and formats of all three VCT Ascension tournaments have been announced by Riot Games.
The start of 2023 saw Riot Games usher in a brand new era of competitive VALORANT. Three International Leagues formed, with 30 partnered teams consisting of the top players in the world. Those leagues will expand in 2024 as three teams receive promotion from the VCT Ascension tournaments.
Riot revealed VCT Ascension alongside the calendar for the 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour. Across a multitude of Challengers leagues, teams are fighting for their spot in Ascension. Now, we know when and where these tournaments will take place.
Three VCT Ascension tournaments will begin immediately after Masters Tokyo
Masters Tokyo takes place June 11 - 25. That tournament will host many teams also qualified for Champions later in the year. While they are battling it out in the main circuit, promotion hopefuls will be preparing for VCT Ascension, which will take place on LAN and in front of a live crowd.
The three tournaments in Pacific, EMEA, and Americas will each happen between the end of June and the middle of July. There have been over 20 Challengers leagues in 2023, but only the very best will have their shot at the VCT.
Pacific
Here are the dates and locations for VCT Ascension Pacific:
- Group Stage: June 28 - July 4
- Playoffs: July 7-9
- Location: Bangkok, Thailand
The Pacific region has 10 Challengers leagues. Each one will qualify a single team to Ascension. This will see two groups compete in a single round robin format. Each match will be best-of-three and the top three teams from each group advances to the playoff stage.
The teams atop of their group receive a bye straight to the semifinals. All of the other four teams will have to work their way to the end from the quarterfinal portion of the bracket. The Grand Final of the tournament will be a best-of-five series.
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EMEA
Here are the dates and location for VCT Ascension EMEA:
Group Stage: June 30 - July 4
Playoffs: July 13-16
Location: Berlin, Germany
EMEA qualification works a bit differently than Pacific. There are still 10 teams in the Ascension tournament, but only nine will enter by winning their respective Challenger league. The last team qualifies through a Play-In Tournament.
An online group stage starts the tournament with a single round robin format. Two teams from the groups advance to the playoffs. The playoffs then take place with a single elimination bracket and a best-of-five final at the VCT EMEA Coliseum in Berlin.
Americas
Here are the dates and location for VCT Ascension Americas:
Dates: June 30 - July 9
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Ascension Americas features just six teams. Two are from Challengers in Brazil, two are from North America, one from LATAM South, and one from LATAM North. This tournament will take place in two different locations, starting at the VALORANT Brazil Studio.
The second venue has yet to be announced, but the conclusion will take place in front of a live audience just like the other VCT Ascension tournaments. Americas will be sorted in two groups of three teams, consisting of a single round robin format. Each team is then seeded into a double elimination playoff bracket.
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