VCT Champions format explained

Champions finishes off the first year of the VALORANT Champions Tour in style.

The end-of-year event follows the same format as Masters Berlin and includes a total of 16 teams evenly distributed into a GSL-style double-elimination group stage, followed by single-elimination playoffs.

There will be four groups at Champions, which have been drawn based on “a combination of their respective final placements at Challenger events and the strength of their region,” according to Riot. 

Taking after Starcraft II and Counter-Strike, each group will consist of four teams, and each match will be a best-of-three. The winners of the two opening matches of each group will advance to the winners’ match and the losers will drop to the losers’ match. 

Related: VCT Champions: Schedule, scores, brackets

The victor of the winners’ match will advance to the playoffs, and the loser will play the winner of the loser’s match in a final group decider. In total, two teams from each group will qualify for the next round of the event.

The playoffs, or the knockout stage, will feature eight teams, which will be redrawn into a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be best-of-three, except for the grand finals, which will be a best-of-five. 

This format should provide an even playing field, full of exciting matches. 

• Group A: Acend, Team Envy, Vivo Keyd, X10 Esports
• Group B: Sentinels, Team Liquid, FURIA, KRU Esports
• Group C: Gambit, Crazy Raccoon, Team Secret, Team Vikings
• Group D: Vision Strikers, Fnatic, Cloud9, Full Sense