Riot Games Reveals Ambitious Plans for 2024 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Season

As Valorant Champions 2023 approaches its climactic stages, Riot Games has lifted the veil on an array of strategic updates designed to "elevate the sport for its fourth year of operation" in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) circuit.

The forthcoming year, 2024, will introduce a fresh international league and a substantial expansion of the Challengers calendar, now encompassing year-round competition. Riot's dedication to transforming Valorant into a worldwide sporting phenomenon is underscored by the selection of new venues for VCT Masters events, all contributing to the realization of their global vision. To ensure that none of these developments slip through the cracks, Dexerto has compiled a comprehensive rundown of all the announcements.

China's Dedicated VCT League Emerges

Among the day's most significant revelations is the unveiling of a fourth official VCT league, exclusively designated for Chinese teams. Positioned on par with the esteemed Americas, EMEA, and Pacific leagues, the VCT China League stands as a monumental addition.

This proclamation closely follows Riot's recent announcement that Shanghai will play host to the second international event of the 2024 Valorant Champions Tour: VCT Masters Shanghai. Scheduled for "late spring," this event will feature a robust lineup of elite teams.

Madrid Secures Valorant Masters

Riot's spotlight also fell on Madrid, the capital of Spain, as the host city for the inaugural global event of 2024: VCT Masters Madrid. Set for the spring season, this competition will gather eight top-tier teams under one roof.

To launch the 2024 season, Riot plans to organize a Kickoff tournament within each of the four international leagues. These intensive two-week competitions will culminate in the selection of eight teams that will proceed to the Madrid event.

Championship Points Infuse New Momentum

Championship Points emerge as the "unifying mechanism" across both international leagues and global tournaments, according to Riot's strategy. Serving as a quantifiable measure of each team's performance, these points will become the cornerstone of qualification for global events.

In light of this development, Riot will be discontinuing regional qualifiers for upcoming world championships. The approach witnessed in 2023, where EMEA, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific hosted last-chance qualifiers for Valorant Champions 2023, will undergo a transformation. Notably, China's inclusion in this system follows the establishment of its VCT league.

Championship Points will henceforth become a pivotal factor in both the VCT international leagues and the Masters events.

Challengers Revamp Takes Center Stage

Riot has ushered in a series of transformative changes for its tier-two ecosystem in the upcoming year. The Challengers calendar will morph into a year-round operation, incentivizing organizations to field competitive teams consistently.

The pivotal Challengers Ascension, responsible for determining teams ascending to the VCT leagues, will be held in September after the Champions, affording it greater prominence.

Furthermore, Riot has introduced a novel player loan system, granting VCT partner organizations the liberty to forge affiliate relationships with Challenger League teams. This dynamic shift is anticipated to usher in a freer exchange of players among teams.

The year 2024 marks the inaugural inclusion of teams elevated from Challengers into the VCT leagues. Notably, The Guard will vie in the Americas League, Gentle Mates in the EMEA League, and Bleed Esports in the Pacific League.