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Riot Games has redefined the competitive sphere of its flagship tactical shooter through the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) and the Valorant Champions League (VCL). The main tournament, the VCT, will comprise 30 partnered teams from three major regions of the globe, including the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
Other professional teams from these three regions will be participating in the VCL to bag a spot at the Ascension tournament. The winners of the Ascension event will be given a shot at participating in the 2024 VCT. In a recent announcement, Riot Games laid down the roadmap for the VCL EMEA tournament. Here's what it looks like:
When does the VCL EMEA tournament commence?
Based on the information provided in the official blog post revealed by Riot Games, the total league count within the EMEA region will be extended to nine. This is being done to prioritize the individual regions that make up the entire EMEA. Portugal and Italy, meanwhile, will be receiving their own leagues.
The starting dates for each of the individual leagues are as follows:
- Spain - January 8
- Eastern Europe - January 12
- DACH - January 14
- France - January 14
- Portugal - January 14
- Türkiye - January 14
- Northern Europe - January 16
- Italy - January 21
- MENA - January 28
With the VCL EMEA tournament format, the entire league is broken down into two separate stages. The first stage of the playoffs for all leagues is expected to begin between late February and early March and is expected to conclude by March 12.
The second stage is scheduled to begin on April 1, after the first week of the VCT. These matches will be held every Saturday through Tuesday. The playoffs for the second stage will be conducted sometime between late May and early June and is expected to conclude by June 11.
The best teams from each of the regional leagues will then make their way to the Ascension league, expected to begin in July. The winners of this league will be crowned the champions of the VCL EMEA 2023. They will also earn a place in the VCT EMEA tournament for the next two years and will compete against the best teams on the biggest stage of them all.
Overall, this is what the roadmap for the upcoming VCL 2023 tournament looks like. Given that there are a total of nine different leagues within the region itself, it's evident that each and every region will be in focus. Smaller and less popular teams will also have a chance to showcase their talent in front of a much wider audience, on an international level.
This is a bonus for the players because even if the teams don't make it forward, they can. Given the nature of the tournaments as specified by Riot Games, teams are allowed to sign new players during the transfer window.
If professionals from smaller teams manage to impress the audience and scouts from partnered teams, they will have a strong chance of earning a contract from partnered teams, which in turn will give them direct entry into the VCT tournament. It will be worth observing how the entire VCL EMEA 2023 tournament pans out.
