Riot sunsets VALORANT Challengers Oceania circuit over sustainability concerns

Riot Games has discontinued the VCT Challengers Oceania league, the official tier-two circuit for aspiring VALORANT esports players in the Oceania region.

On Dec. 3, 2025, the company released an official statement explaining the decision, citing insufficient growth and the increasing operational demands of the league, which had begun to outweigh both viewership levels and player participation.

That said, this move will not remove Oceania’s chances in VALORANT esports altogether. Instead of the Challengers path, players will now have to prove their way through Premier, the tac shooter’s path-to-pro game mode.

“Going forward, players in Oceania can join the VCT ecosystem through Premier, where the best team will move on to a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) for a shot at becoming one of four teams to qualify for the VCT Pacific Stage 2 Playoffs,” Riot explained in its release.

Besides this, Riot will also be supporting “grassroots and community tournaments,” which have been thriving in Oceania.

At the same time, these changes won’t affect VCT Game Changers Oceania league, which will continue to run as it is in 2026.

How to participate in VALORANT esports as an Oceania resident

Going forward, Oceanian pro players (Immortal Three or higher) will have to participate in Premier and stand out as a “top-performing team.” Here’s how the process works:

1. Top-performing Premier teams in Oceania will be eligible to participate in a regional qualifier.
2. The winner of the regional qualifier will earn a spot at Pacific’s Last Chance Qualifier, featuring the top team from South Asia, the top team from Oceania, and the 2nd and 3rd seeds from Southeast Asia.

Ascension is no longer a part of VCT. The LCQ winner will earn the final VCT Pacific spot at VALORANT Champions.