Valorant Champion Tour (VCT) 2022 Stage 1 Masters: Schedule, format, where to watch and more

The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2022 is set to kick off its first international LAN event of the year with the Stage 1 Masters tournament, held in Reykjavik, Iceland, from April 10 - 24.

At the LAN tournament in Iceland, twelve of the best teams from all over the world will engage in two weeks of engaging fixtures to determine the Stage 1 Masters champion.

Additionally, all 12 teams will receive circuit points based on their tournament standings, which is crucial for their qualification for the Valorant Champions 2022.

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Earlier in December 2021, Riot Games revealed their official roadmap for VCT 2022, later highlighting the slot distribution for all competitive regions in Valorant. With the conclusion of VCT 2022 Stage 1 Challengers events worldwide, Riot delves into the format and structure of the upcoming Stage 1 Masters.

VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters - Reykjavik: Everything you need to know

The VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters will feature 12 participants split between 7 different regions, namely EMEA (Europe, Middle East, North Africa), NA (North America), Asia-Pacific (APAC), KR (Korea), JP (Japan), LATAM (Latin America) and BR (Brazil). Two teams from LATAM and BR will compete for an additional slot for the SA (South America) region.

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The slot distribution for all regions in the Masters: Reykjavik is as such:

Three slots for EMEA
Two slots for NA
Two slots for APAC (APAC region will include South East Asia, South Asia and Oceania)
One slot for BR
One slot for LATAM
One slots for SA (LATAM and Brazil will compete for a second slot before each Masters)
One slot for Korea
One slot for Japan

Format

Each of the top-seeded teams from the most competitive regions in Valorant, namely - EMEA, NA, APAC and LATAM vs BR playoffs (Stage 1 SA playoffs) - will gain direct qualification to the tournament's double-elimination bracket.

The remaining eight teams will be split into two groups of four. They will compete in a double-elimination Group Stage to send four teams into the final double-elimination bracket.

Masters: Reykjavik Group Stage bracket (Image via Riot Games)

Once the Group Stage concludes, the final double-elimination bracket kicks off, pitting eight teams from various regions against each other. Teams from the same groups will be placed randomly in opposite brackets to avoid repetitive matchups.

The Lower Finals and Grand Finals will be held in a best-of-five format, whereas the remaining matches will compete in best-of-three matchups.

Schedule and teams

The VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters will commence with the Group Stage, scheduled to be held on April 10 - 18. Following the Group Stage, the double-elimination bracket will be held between April 22 - 24, which will witness eight teams battle it out for the title of the Stage 1 Masters champions.

Masters: Reykjavik double-elimination bracket (Image via Riot Games)

With the conclusion of VCT Stage 1 Challengers tournaments worldwide, Masters: Reykjavik has secured 11 of its 12 participants. The final slot will be filled by the winner of Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) vs Leviatán (LATAM), which is scheduled for April 2.

The 11 teams that have qualified for the tournament so far are listed below:

The Guard (NA)
OpTic Gaming (NA)
G2 Esports (EMEA)
Fnatic (EMEA)
Team Liquid (EMEA)
Paper Rex (APAC)
XERXIA (APAC)
KRU Esports (LATAM)
LOUD (BR)
ZETA DIVISION (JP)
DRX (KR)

When and where to watch

Valorant enthusiasts worldwide can tune into Valorant's official across Twitch and YouTube to watch the Stage 1 Masters. Watch parties held in association with VCT are also expected to broadcast the event live.