Everything We Know About VCT 2023 So Far
| Tags: Valorant
| Author Xavier Geitz
Whalen Rozelle, Riot Games' Head of Global Esports Operations, has divulged more details about the VCT 2023 circuit.
The 2023 VCT Tour will be a different breed of competitive Valorant. And not just because of the shift to franchising.
We're cooking up something fresh for 2023 👀
With 3 premiere-level leagues and in-game tournaments, get ready for a whole new #VCT! pic.twitter.com/ICeniEG28V
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) September 14, 2022
For starters, VCT 2023 is kicking off with a bang, with Riot Games hosting a special tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Riot will fly out the 30 initial partnered teams, 10 for each of the three new international leagues (Americas, EMEA, and Pacific), to Sao Paulo for the event. It will be the largest international Valorant tournament thus far.
The kickoff tournament will begin in February and conclude after three weeks of play in early March. The winning team will earn their league an additional slot at Masters 2023. After the kickoff tournament, there will be an international league split, and regular competitions will begin. Riot Games has stated that Seoul, Los Angeles, and Berlin will be their three primary competition hubs.
After several months of competition, three regional winners will emerge, and the circuit will move on to Masters in June. The top teams will earn their qualifications for Champs. Last Chance Qualifiers will take place immediately after in July, where each regional winner will secure a spot for Champs.
July will also mark the debut of the brand new Ascension Tournament. The long-awaited reveal for which teams made the initial cut will take place about a week after the conclusion of VCT Champs 2022, on September 26. Teams that don't make the initial cut will have a chance to promote to their respective international leagues through the Ascension Tournament.
The new Challengers tour will have two splits, with the Ascension Tournament being the grand finale. The new leagues will eventually cap out at 14 teams per league, with 42 competing teams total, so expect competition to be incredibly fierce. Challengers have until 2027 to get their slot.
Finally, the new and improved VCT 2023 tour will close out with Champs in August. And then we do it all over again.
Initially, there were a lot of concerns over the franchising decision made by Riot Games. But in recent months, new revelations about the VCT 2023 tour have significantly improved the sentiment about competitive Valorant's future. We'll keep you apprised of any further updates.
In the mean time, you'll find all the latest esports news, game guides and Valorant betting tips right here on ESTNN.
When not busy writing about Esports, the latest and greatest digital gaming deals, and reviewing video game, you can find Xavier wandering Morrowind's Telvanni Coast, tirelessly petitioning for a Timesplitters 2 remake, or trying to understand the Concept of Love.