VCT 2024 cannot come any sooner!
Riot Games has just dropped the first official look at what we can expect for the upcoming VCT 2024 season. As VCT Champions 2023 is currently ongoing with the final four set to take place in a few days, we now have new information regarding the new season for next year.
This includes a fourth official VCT league in China as well as two global VCT Masters events in new locations like Madrid and Shanghai. But that's not all as the tier-two scene within the VCT will also be expanded to year-round competition.
Kicking Off VCT 2024
It's looking like there will be no VCT LOCK//IN next season and instead, Riot has ushered in a new start to the season with an immersive two-week tournament for each international league. This new tournament will narrow down a total of eight teams to compete at the first VCT event of the year, Masters Madrid. This also marks the first time that a global VCT event will be held in Spain.
Championship Points coming to the VCT
There will be plenty of changes to VCT 2024 and one of the latest introductions to the upcoming season will be Championship Points. This new dynamic season structure was designed to heighten the crescendo of the season and will be the unifying mechanism across international leagues and global tournaments. It will also serve as a measure of each team's performance and the qualification mechanism for global events.
Image credit: VALORANT Esports
VCT China is coming in 2024
After a full partnership year with three regions, mainly EMEA, Americas, and Pacific, VCT will finally be introducing China as the fourth official region for the partnership league as of next season. Given the region's recent performances this year at Masters Tokyo as well as VCT Champions, it was only a matter of time before VCT China officially became the fourth partnership league. In addition to the new league, Shanghai will also play host to the second VCT Masters event of the year where 12 teams will battle for Championship Points and qualifications to VCT Champions 2024.
Changes to Challengers in VCT 2024
VCT Challengers is set for an overhaul next season to provide more competition within the tier-two scene. The Challengers circuit will now be expanded to year-round with an innovative team affiliation and player loan system. This is to increase the player flow between the International Leagues, Challengers, and Game Changers. Additionally, the new Premier mode will become the foundation of VALORANT's journey to pro, providing players with an entry point into the VCT directly within the game. Head to VALORANT Esports for more information about VCT Challengers 2024.
3 new teams joining the VCT
With the conclusion of VCT Ascension in its respective leagues (EMEA, Americas, and Pacific), three new teams will be joining the International Leagues for the 2024 season. The teams that secured a two-year promotion to the VCT are The Guard from the Americas, Gentle Mates from EMEA, and Bleed eSports from the Pacific.