Riot unveils VCT Masters Berlin format, includes group stage followed by single-elimination bracket

VCT Masters Three: Berlin is the last major VALORANT tournament before December’s championship—and it’s right around the corner.

Riot revealed the Masters Berlin format today with the tournament taking place from Sept. 10 to 19. Sixteen teams from various regions will go head-to-head, earning circuit points that will help them qualify for the VCT’s final event. And the winner of Masters Berlin will automatically advance to Champions.

Masters Berlin will begin with a group stage from Sept. 10 to 17, followed by a four-team single-elimination bracket on Sept. 18 and 19. Each match will be a best-of-three except for the grand finals, which will be a best-of-five.

Participants will be initially divided into groups of four “with the goal of distributing teams from the same region in to different groups.” Group play will be a four-team double-elimination bracket where only one squad from each group will move on to the next stage.

Advancing teams will then be seeded into a single-elimination bracket, leaving little room for error. And the last team standing will earn an automatic qualification into Champions and win the Masters Berlin trophy.

The participating regions include NA, EMEA (EU, CIS, TR), KR, JP, SEA, BR, and LATAM. Not all of the teams competing in Berlin have been decided. But fans can expect to see some familiar faces, like Sentinels, 100 Thieves, G2 Esports, and Vision Strikers.

Riot has yet to reveal how Masters Berlin placement will affect seeding at Champions.

Update Aug. 20 7:45pm CT: Following fan feedback, Riot decided to make the knockout stage into an eight-team single elimination bracket and remove the final match of the group stage. This will allow two teams from each group to advance to the next stage of the event, rather than only one. More info on the new format will be provided next week.

Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.