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

Update (February 11, 2022): Click here for the VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers Group Stage (Main Event) results.

The North American region is ready to kick off the new 2022 Valorant season starting January 27 with the VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers first open qualifier.

Riot Games has also announced that the following teams have advanced to the Stage 1 Main Event:

• Sentinels
• Team Envy
• Cloud9
• 100 Thieves

All four teams were selected based on their 2021 VCT circuit point standings, with three of them having competed in Valorant Champions. 

What is the VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers?

VCT NA Challengers Stage 1 is the first competition of the 2022 season in the North American region. It consists of three phases, the open qualifiers, the regular season, and the playoffs.

The best teams in the North American region will be competing to qualify for the first Valorant Masters event of the year, along with earning VCT circuit points for the Valorant Champions event at the end of the year.

VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers schedule and results

Open Qualifiers

The first open qualifier spans from January 27 to 30, while the second open qualifier will run from February 3 to 6. Each qualifier will allocate four Main Event spots up for grabs and will feature a 128-team bracket.

Open Qualifier 2

Lower Bracket round 6

Lower Bracket round 5

Lower Bracket round 4

Upper Bracket semifinals

Lower Bracket round 3

Upper Bracket quarterfinals

Lower Bracket round 2

Upper Bracket round of 16

Lower Bracket round 1

Upper Bracket round of 32

Open Qualifier 1

Lower Bracket Round 6

Lower Bracket Round 5

Lower Bracket Round 4

Upper Bracket semifinals

Lower Bracket Round 3

Upper Bracket quarterfinals

Lower Bracket Round 2

Upper Bracket round of 16

Lower Bracket Round 1

Upper Bracket round of 32

Main Event

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

Click here for the VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers Group Stage (Main Event) results.

Playoffs

The playoffs begin on March 17, featuring the top eight teams squaring off for the two spots allotted to the North American region in the first Masters of the VCT 2022 season.

Format of VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers

The two open qualifiers will have four Main Event spots up for grabs and will feature a 128-team bracket. All squads will be competing in a single-elimination format until they reach the round of 32, which will be double-elimination.

The main event will have the 12 qualified teams split into two groups of six squads each. They will be competing 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 in a best-of-three, except for the lower bracket finals and grand finals, which will both be best-of-five.

The new Valorant agent Neon will also be available for competitive play in VCT NA Challengers Stage 1 on January 25.

• 100 Thieves complete Valorant roster with ec1s and BabyJ
• 100 Thieves Asuna: ‘I’ve come to the conclusion Neon is awful’

Teams that are competing in the VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers

Where to watch VCT NA Stage 1 Challengers

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

READ MORE: Riot Games: ‘Zeri and Neon were based on Manila’s frequent blackouts’