Valorant Champions Tour 2021: How the world tournament structure works

From the very beginning, Valorant has been an esports game with similar gun mechanics as CSGO, but agent abilities set this game apart. And in just a few months, Valorant managed to create a flourishing esports scene for itself.

Like every other esports title, Valorant started its competitive journey with fans hosting local tournaments. Motivated by fan feedback, Riot Games hosted their first Valorant tournament, "First Strike," to take their first steps into the esports scene.

First Strike was just the beginning. Thanks to everyone that brought #ThatNewFire all around the world. Stay tuned for more action when VALORANT Challengers kicks off January 29, 2021. pic.twitter.com/SzGgFGUQIs

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) December 18, 2020

After the success of the “First Strike'' tournament, Riot Games took a big step in hosting an international tournament called the Valorant Champions Tour. The VCT is a year-long event with three levels - Valorant Challengers, Valorant Masters and Valorant Champions.

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The Valorant Champions Tour 2021 structure

The Valorant Champions Tour features both regional and international competitions in an effort to grow the Valorant global esports scene. Giving new professional players a chance to build their esports careers through a new series.

VCT schedule for 2021 (Image via Riot Games)

As mentioned earlier, the Valorant Champion Tour features three levels of competition: Challengers(Regional), Masters(International mid-season tournament), and finally Champions(Annual world championship).

VCT Challenger format (Image via Riot Games)

Valorant Challenger Series will be hosted in various regions throughout 2021. Three Challenger series tournaments are to be hosted throughout the year and will continue for six weeks. Players can qualify for the Masters by winning the Valorant Challenger series and confirming their spots.

VCT Champions qualification format (Image via Riot Games)

The teams that get selected into the Valorant Masters are further going to compete to earn their spots in the Valorant Champions. A total of 16 teams get to compete in the annual showdown.

While 12 teams get to qualify through three Masters events, the remaining four positions are confirmed through Last Chance Qualifiers.

In the end, the final 16 teams compete with each other to earn the title of World Champions. Riot wishes to host a LAN competition to keep the game fair and square.

In this way, no teams can get an unfair edge over others, for instance, ping or FPS. Keeping the scenario absolutely the same for everyone else partaking in it.