Riot has revealed details on VCT 2024’s format for the Kickoff tournaments and Champions qualification, here is all you need to know.
With the 2024 season fast approaching its start with the regional Kickoff tournaments, Riot has finally revealed its format and how teams will qualify for Valorant Champions.
It was revealed on August 2023 what the 2024 schedule will look like, with some drastic changes to regional splits and qualifications.
We now have a look at what the format will look like for the new Kickoff tournaments, and how teams will qualify for Champions.
Ready for 2024? We think we are… Here’s the TL;DR on what to expect from the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2024: pic.twitter.com/NHeZAJxPv0
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 23, 2023
VCT Kickoff 2024 format explained
All regional Kickoff tournaments will have the same format.
Each Kickoff will start with a Group Stage, with all eleven teams being seeded into three groups. Two groups will feature four teams, and one group will feature three teams.
The region’s top team, which will be determined by the highest placing team at Champions 2023, will be placed in the group of three, with a buy into the second round in their group.
Each group will compete in a double-elimination bracket, with all matches played as Bo3s. The three winning teams of each group will directly move into the Stage 3 Playoffs. The three other second-place teams will move into the Stage 2 Play-Ins.
In the Stage 2 Play-Ins, the three second-place teams will face off in a round-robin, with only one team out of the three earning a spot in the playoffs.
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In the Playoffs Stage, the four remaining teams will compete in a single-elimination bracket, with the two finalists securing their spots at Masters Madrid.
The team coming from the play-in stage will be placed opposite in the bracket of the bracket winner from their group to ensure no repeat B03s.
The Kickoff winner for each region will receive preferential seeding at Masters Madrid and three Championship points toward their qualifications for Valorant Champions 2024.
Valorant Champions 2024 qualification explained
For teams to qualify for Champions 2024, they can either qualify by finishing top three in their region’s Stage 2 Playoffs, or through their Championship Points gained throughout the year.
Teams can gain Championship Points through various ways. If a team wins either their regional Kickoff, Stage 1 and Stage 2 Playoffs, Masters Madrid, or Masters Shanghai, they will be rewarded three points.
Each match won during the regional Stages 1 and 2 will net a team one point. Across both stages, each team will play 10 regular season matches.
The first and second seed in each Stage Playoffs will receive a buy into the second round of competition and also earn an extra point as the two teams will have access to one less match.
Unlike the past three VCT seasons, there will be no LCQs for Champions, rather, fourth-seed qualification will be determined by a team’s consistency throughout the season.