VCT Ascension 2023 Americas & EMEA: Results, schedule and Valorant teams

Riot Games

The VCT Ascension tournaments are underway in EMEA as teams fight for promotion to the international league. The Americas region’s promotion tournament has concluded with The Guard defeating M80 3-1. Keep track of the schedule and all the scores here.

The second year of the new Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) circuit will see the three international leagues expanded to 11 teams through a promotion system. In each region, an Ascension tournament featuring the best Challengers sides will determine which team will earn a two-year stay in the international league.

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Riot Games
São Paulo is hosting the VCT Ascension tournament in the Americas

This is part of the revamped VCT Challengers ecosystem announced by Riot Games in the summer of 2022. Each year until 2027, the international leagues will be expanded by one team, with the promoted teams receiving the same benefits as the ten partner organizations. These include access to revenue share and the possibility to attend international events.

Below is everything you need to know about the VCT Ascension tournaments in the Americas and EMEA:

Contents

VCT Ascension Americas (June 30 — July 9)

The VCT Ascension Americas tournament has concluded with The Guard defeating M80 3-1 in the Grand Final. The organization went undefeated across the entire tournament, going 2-0 in the group stage and only dropping two maps in the playoff stage.

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The Guard’s entire team topped the tournament’s statistical leaderboard, with all five players ending the tournament ranked in the top 10 of VLR rating. The squad was relatively unchanged from its 2022 iteration, as it only added Ian ‘tex’ Botsch to replace Ha ‘Sayaplayer’ Jeong-woo. The squad’s experience together was shown on the LAN stage in São Paulo, Brazil as they looked unfazed going up against top competition from South America and M80.

Fans will get to see The Guard compete in tier 1 Valorant competition again come the start of the VCT season in 2024.

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How to watch:

Format:

  • Bo3 round-robin group stage for seeding purposes.
  • Double-elimination bracket. All matches are Bo3, except the grand final (Bo5).

Schedule and results:

Playoffs (July 3 — July 9)

Day 1: July 3

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Upper Round 1 00 Nation 0-2 FUSION 1 PM 4 PM 9 PM
Upper Round 1 M80 2-0 9z 4 PM 7 PM 12 AM

Day 2: July 4

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Upper Round 2 The Union 2-0 FUSION 1 PM 4 PM 9 PM
Upper Round 2 The Guard 2-0 M80 4 PM 7 PM 12 AM

Day 3: July 5

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Lower Round 1 00 Nation 0-2 M80 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Lower Round 1 9z 2-0 FUSION 2 PM 5 PM 10 PM
Upper Final The Union 1-2 The Guard 5 PM 8 PM 1 AM

Day 4: July 8

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Lower Round 2 M80 2-0 9z 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Lower Final The Union 0-2 M80 2 PM 5 PM 10 PM

Day 5: July 9

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Grand Final The Guard 3-1 M80 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Group Stage (June 30 — July 2)

Group A

Placement Team Record
1 The Union 2-0
2 M80 1-1
3 FUSION 0-2

Group B

Placement Team Record
1 The Guard 2-0
2 00 Nation 1-1
3 9z 0-2

Day 1: June 30

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A M80 0-2 The Union 1 PM 4 PM 9 PM
Group B 9z 0-2 00 Nation 4 PM 7 PM 12 AM

Day 2: July 1

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A M80 2-0 Fusion 1 PM 4 PM 9 PM
Group B The Guard 2-0 00 Nation 4 PM 7 PM 12 AM

Day 3: July 2

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A Fusion 0-2 The Union 1 PM 4 PM 9 PM
Group B The Guard 2-0 9z 4 PM 7 PM 12 AM

Teams:

Team Region Players
M80 North America koalanoob, Zander, NiSMO, eeiu, johnqt
The Guard North America trent, JonahP, neT, valyn, tex
FUSION LATAM North Mited, Theory, Edu, Virtyy, Darker
9z LATAM South Tuli, david, deigara, mizu, Rubkkoide
The Union Brazil GuhRVN, raafa, pancc, ntk, Askia
00 Nation Brazil shion, b4rtiN, xand, bezn1, artzin

VCT Ascension EMEA (June 30 — July 16)

The VCT Ascension EMEA tournament will begin with an online group stage, featuring ten teams. Nine will come from the Challengers Leagues, while the last team will be decided through a Play-In tournament. The playoff stage will take place at the VCT EMEA Coliseum, in Berlin.

How to watch:

Format:

  • Bo3 round-robin group stage, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the playoffs.
  • Single-elimination bracket. All matches are Bo3, except the grand final (Bo5).

Schedule and results:

  • Group Stage: June 30-July 4
  • Playoffs: July 13-16

Playoffs (July 13 — July 16)

Day 1: July 13

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Upper Round 1 Acend 2-0 Gentle Mates 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Upper Round 1 Apeks 2-0 SAW 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Day 2: July 14

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Upper Final Acend 1-2 Apeks 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Lower Round 1 Gentle Mates 2-1 SAW 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Day 3: July 15

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Lower Final Acend 0-3 Gentle Mates 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM

Day 4: July 16

Stage Match PT ET GMT
Grand Final Apeks 0-3 Gentle Mates 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM

Group Stage (June 30 — July 4)

Group A

Placement Team Record
1 Acend 3-1
2 SAW 3-1
3 Digital Athletics 2-2
4 CGN Esports 1-3
5 DSYRE 1-3

Group B

Placement Team Record
1 Apeks 4-0
2 Gentle Mates 3-1
3 FOKUS 2-2
4 Team Falcons 1-3
5 Case Esports 0-4

Day 1: June 30

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A Acend 2-0 Digital Athletics 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group B Case 0-2 Apeks 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group A DSYRE 0-2 CGN 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Group B Falcons 0-2 Gentle Mates 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Day 2: July 1

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A Acend 2-1 CGN 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group B Gentle Mates 2-0 Case 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group A SAW 2-1 Digital Athletics 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Group B Apeks 2-1 FOKUS 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Day 3: July 2

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A SAW 2-1 CGN 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group B Gentle Mates 2-1 FOKUS 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group A DSYRE 2-1 Acend 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Group B Falcons 2-0 Case 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Day 4: July 3

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A SAW 2-1 DSYRE 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group B Falcons 1-2 FOKUS 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group A Digital Athletics 2-1 CGN 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Group B Gentle Mates 0-2 Apeks 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Day 5: July 4

Group Match PT ET GMT
Group A DSYRE 0-2 Digital Athletics 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group B Falcons 0-2 Apeks 8 AM 11 AM 4 PM
Group A SAW 0-2 Acend 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM
Group B Case 0-2 FOKUS 11 AM 2 PM 7 PM

Teams:

Team League Players
Apeks Polaris Mistic, Enzo, keiko, Magnum, ShadoW
CGN Esports DACH auzry, Shazeo, elllement, BennY, Vince
Case Spain Yurii, Kiles, Ease, MiniBoo, roxie
Gentle Mates France logaN, beyAz, Wailers, TakaS, nataNk
Digital Athletics Turkey skyLeN, cacan, Masic, Ruxic, DeepMans
SAW Portugal tomaszy, Fizzy, Bati, DaviH, Addicted
Acend East MONSTEERR, Br0die, baddyG, musashi, ALIVE
Team Falcons MENA alvar, Moh, OuTLaW, SpY, KHaaLiD
DSYRE Italy caydeN, Xazyy, Tag, Wackie, Feqew
FOKUS Play-In  YaBoiLewis, JUGi, Lime, KPZET, waddle