VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers: Schedule, results, format, teams, where to watch

The top Valorant teams in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are all ready for the new 2022 Valorant season. They will get to put their skills and strategies to the test at VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers, where reigning Valorant Champions winner Acend are eager to defend their crown.

Riot Games handed out direct invites to the following teams, comprising some of the best in the region, advancing them to the Stage 1 Main Event:

• Acend
• Gambit Esports
• Team Liquid
• Fnatic

These four teams were selected based on their 2021 VCT EMEA circuit point standings. All of them also participated in Valorant Champions at the end of last year. 

What is the VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers?

VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers is the first competition of the 2022 season for teams based in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It consists of three phases: the open qualifiers, the regular season, and the playoffs.

The best teams in the region will be competing to qualify for the first international Masters event of the year, in addition to crucial VCT circuit points that will help them qualify for a spot at the Valorant Champions event at the end of 2022.

Tournament schedule and match results

Qualifiers

The open qualifier in the different EMEA regions began on January 10, 2022. Teams that qualified from Europe, Turkey, and the CIS region have already been decided.

Main Event

The Stage 1 Main Event begins on February 11 with the new regular season format in which the 12 qualified teams will compete for their spots in the playoffs.

Standings

Group A

Group B

Week 1

February 11

February 12

February 13

February 14

Week 2

February 18

February 19

February 20

February 21

Week 3

Update: Week 3 of the VCT EMEA Stage 1 Challengers matches have been postponed by Riot Games due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Week 4

March 5

March 6

March 7

Week 5

March 11

March 12

March 13

March 14

March 16

March 17

March 18

March 19

Playoffs

The playoffs begin in March, where the top eight teams will square off for the available spots allotted to the EMEA region in the first Masters of the VCT 2022 season.

Format of the tournament

The two open qualifiers will have four Main Event spots up for grabs and will feature a 128-team bracket. Teams will compete in a single-elimination format until they reach the round of 32, which will then switch to the double-elimination format.

The main event will see the 12 qualified teams split into two groups of six teams. They will compete in round-robin best-of-three matches after which the top eight teams will advance to the playoffs.

The playoffs will be a double-elimination bracket with all matches played out in a best-of-three series, except for the lower bracket final and grand final, which will both be best-of-five games.

The new Valorant agent Neon will also be available for tournament play for the first time on January 25.

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Teams that are participating in the competition

Group A

Group B

Where to watch the tournament?

Valorant fans can watch the matches live on Riot Games’ official Twitch and YouTube channels:

(To be updated)

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