The first international Valorant event of the year is nearly upon us. The 12 best teams from around the world are heading to Iceland to compete at Masters Reykjavik 2022, where they will battle to be crowned VCT Stage 1 champions.
However, the playing field looks considerably different from last year. All three winners of past international LAN events – Sentinels, Gambit Esports (now known as M3 Champions), and Acend – failed to qualify through their respective Stage 1 Challengers tournaments.
In their place are teams like G2 Esports, Fnatic, and rookie wunderkind The Guard, all looking to lift their first Masters trophy and lay claim to the title of the world’s best Valorant team.
Meanwhile, new Brazilian superteam Loud and Korea’s DRX Vision Strikers arrive in Iceland on the back of incredibly dominant streaks in their respective countries. After falling short last year, their rosters will be looking to fix their mistakes and finally find success on the global stage.
What is VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik 2022?
It is the first international Valorant LAN event of the VCT 2022 season, featuring the top teams from North America, EMEA, Korea, Japan, APAC, Brazil, and Latin America.
The tournament marks the culmination of VCT 2022 Stage 1, where teams can earn VCT circuit points that will go toward qualification for Valorant Champions at the end of the year.
VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik 2022 schedule and results
VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik 2022’s group stage will run from April 10 to 14, followed by the playoffs from April 15 to 25.
Here are the groups and opening matches for Masters Reykjavik 2022.
(To be updated)
Group Stage Standings
Group A
| STANDING | TEAM | SCORE |
| 1st | DRX | 2 — 0 |
| 2nd | Zeta Division | 2 — 1 |
| 3rd | Ninjas in Pyjamas | 1 — 2 |
| 4th | Fnatic | 0 — 2 |
Group B
| STANDING | TEAM | SCORE |
| 1st | Team Liquid | 2 — 0 |
| 2nd | OpTic Gaming | 2 — 1 |
| 3rd | Xerxia Esports | 1 — 2 |
| 4th | KRU Esports | 0 — 2 |
April 10
| TEAM | RESULT | MAP | TEAM |
| DRX Vision Strikers | 2 — 0 | Icebox 13-2 Haven 13-3 | Zeta Division |
April 11
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| KRU Esports | 0 — 2 | Fracture 5-13 Ascent 14-16 | Team Liquid |
| OpTic Gaming | 0 — 2 | Icebox 10-13 Ascent 10-13 | Xerxia Esports |
April 12
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| Fnatic | 0 — 2 | Ascent 7-13 Split 8-13 | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| Team Liquid | 2 — 1 | Split 13-7 Icebox 13-11 Ascent 17-15 | Xerxia Esports |
| DRX Vision Strikers | 2 — 0 | Icebox 13-4 Breeze 13-8 | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
April 13
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| KRU Esports | 0 — 2 | Bind 5-13 Ascent 10-13 | OpTic Gaming |
| Zeta Division | 2 — 0 | Fracture 13-7 Icebox 13-11 | Fnatic |
April 14
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| Xerxia Esports | 0 — 2 | Fracture 8-13 Haven 6-13 | OpTic Gaming |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | 1 — 2 | Split 13-6 Icebox 10-13 Fracture 12-14 | Zeta Division |
Playoffs
April 15
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| G2 Esports | 2 — 0 | Split 13-7 Bind 13-10 | Zeta Division |
| LOUD | 2 — 1 | Icebox 13-10 Haven 3 – 13 Ascent 13-10 | Team Liquid |
April 16
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| Paper Rex | 1 — 2 | Haven 13-10 Bind 8-13 Ascent 8-13 | DRX |
| The Guard | 1 — 2 | Icebox 7-13 Haven 13-7 Fracture 11-13 | OpTic Gaming |
April 17
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| Zeta Division | 2 — 1 | Fracture 13-7 Haven 4-13 Split 13-7 | Team Liquid |
| Paper Rex | 2 — 0 | Haven 13-10 Split 13-8 | The Guard |
April 18
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| DRX | 1 — 2 | Ascent 13-8 Icebox 11-13 Split 13-15 | OpTic Gaming |
| G2 Esports | 0 — 2 | Ascent 5-13 Breeze 11-13 | Loud |
April 19
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| DRX | 1 — 2 | Icebox 11-13 Ascent 13-10 Split 4-13 | Zeta Division |
| G2 Esports | 0 — 2 | Split 10-13 Bind 7-13 | Paper Rex |
April 23
Upper Bracket Final
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| OpTic Gaming | 1 — 2 | Fracture 13-2 Ascent 8-13 Icebox 11-13 | Loud |
Lower Bracket Semifinal
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| Zeta Division | 2 — 1 | Icebox 6-13 Haven 13-2 Split 13-10 | Paper Rex |
April 24
Lower Bracket Final
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| OpTic Gaming | 3 — 0 | Haven 15-13 Fracture 13-5 Bind 13-8 | Zeta Division |
April 25
Grand Final
| TEAM | RESULTS | MAP | TEAM |
| Loud | 0 — 3 | Ascent 9-13 Bind 12-14 Breeze 13-15 | OpTic Gaming |
- The Guard almost did not sign star carry Sayaplayer, says head coach mCe
- Fnatic Valorant sign Fea on loan from Alliance for Masters Reykjavík
Teams that are competing at VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik 2022
The 12 teams in the competition have been split between the top-seeded teams and the group stage squads. The four top-seeded teams advance directly to the playoffs, where they await the winners of the group stage.
Out of the eight teams in the group stage, only four will move on to the playoffs.
FunPlus Phoenix, the first seed in VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers, will not attend Masters Reykjavik as a result of travel and COVID-19 restrictions. G2 Esports takes their place as EMEA’s top seed, while the fourth-placed Team Liquid will attend as the third EMEA representative.
Playoffs teams
| TEAMS | REGION | STAGE 1 CHALLENGERS PLACEMENTS |
| G2 Esports | Europe | 2nd place VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| The Guard | North America | 1st place VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| Paper Rex | Singapore (Southeast Asia) | 1st place VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| LOUD | Brazil | 1st place VCT Brazil Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
Group stage teams
| TEAMS | REGION | STAGE 1 CHALLENGERS PLACEMENTS |
| Fnatic | Europe | 3rd place VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| Team Liquid | Europe | 4th place VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| OpTic Gaming | North America | 2nd place VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| DRX Vision Strikers | Korea | 1st place VCT Korea Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| Xerxia Esports | Thailand (Southeast Asia) | 2nd place VCT APAC Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| Zeta Division | Japan | 1st place VCT Japan Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| KRU Esports | Argentina (Latin America) | 1st place VCT LATAM Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | Brazil | 1st place South America Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs |
Prize and point pool of the tournament at the Valorant international LAN at Iceland
All teams are competing for a share of the 3,400 circuit points that will go toward qualifying for Valorant Champions at the year’s end. Riot Games has yet to announce the prize pool for the tournament.
FunPlus Phoenix have been awarded the eighth-place prize as a result of their inability to attend, which is the lowest placement they could have achieved at the event. The team will receive 200 circuit points and US$25,000 in prize money.
| PLACE | TEAM | PRIZE MONEY | VCT CIRCUIT POINTS |
| 1st | — | US$200,000 | 750 |
| 2nd | — | US$120,000 | 500 |
| 3rd | — | US$85,000 | 400 |
| 4th | — | US$65,000 | 300 |
| 5th | — | US$40,000 | 250 |
| 6th | — | US$40,000 | 250 |
| 7th | — | US$25,000 | 200 |
| 8th | — | US$25,000 | 200 |
| 9th | — | US$15,000 | 150 |
| 10th | — | US$15,000 | 150 |
| 11th | — | US$10,000 | 125 |
| 12th | — | US$10,000 | 125 |
| DNP | FunPlus Phoenix | US$25,000 | 200 |
Format of VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik 2022
The tournament begins with the group stage. Eight teams have been sorted into two groups, and each group will play through a double-elimination bracket. The first two teams from each group to win two matches will advance to the playoffs.
The four teams that emerge from the group stage will be placed randomly in the double-elimination playoffs bracket, where the top-seeded squads from each region will be waiting.
Teams from the same group will be placed on opposite sides of the playoffs bracket to avoid a repeat match-up too early in the winner’s bracket.
All matches will play out in best-of-three series, except for the lower bracket final and grand final, which will be best-of-five games.
Where to watch VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik 2022?
Valorant fans can watch the matches live on Riot Games’ official Twitch and YouTube channels:
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