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With the inaugural Valorant Champions nearing its conclusion, Riot Games announced their plans for the Valorant Champions Tour 2022.
Over 10,000 teams fought for the coveted Valorant Champions 2021 trophy by competing in various stages of the tournament. As 4 teams make their way to the final stages of this year's Champions, Riot Games disclosed the roadmap for the upcoming year in Valorant.
Valorant Champions Tour 2022 Roadmap: Key features, timeline, tournament structure and more
Anna Donlon, an Executive Producer for Valorant, stated that the developers seek to improve the experience for professional players, as well as casual fans with the changes made to the structure of Valorant Champions Tour. In the announcement for the Valorant Champions Tour 2022 roadmap, she stated,
"We have big plans for Valorant eSports next year. These are just some of the improvements you can look forward to in the future"
Key Features
Match Schedules will be made available to players in-game for tournaments taking place in 2022. Anna Donlon talks about bringing in improvements to their broadcast, and newer ways for fans to support their favorite teams.
Additionally, Anna Donlon mentions the arrival of a new feature that can enhance the competitive experience of Valorant players around the world.
"To experience the path to pro, and compete just like they [professionals] do, we're hard at work on a new feature set that will take your competitive experience even further. From building a team, competing beyond ranked, and securing glory on a bigger stage. We're super excited for this new feature" - Anna Donlon, Executive Producer Valorant
In 2022, Valorant is set to invest in new country-based leagues. These leagues are scheduled to be introduced in Europe at first, with plans to expand to various parts of the world. The primary goal of these leagues will be to nurture young athletes into professional Valorant players.
Similar to the Ingition Series held in 2020, Valorant aims to organize a global series of tournaments in coordination with third-party tournament operators. This set of events will be an excellent opportunity for teams of all calibers to test out their firepower.
Valorant aims to expand their Game Changers program in 2022 by introducing a tournament featuring the best teams from the program. Valorant Game Changers was introduced in 2021, to improve opportunities among the female gaming community. In 2022, Riot plans to enhance the professional esports experience for women all around the world.
Structure
VCT Challengers will adopt a new format in 2022. Each regional Challengers event will have one open qualifier leading to fixtures being played over multiple weeks in a league format. The tournament will culminate with a grand event similar to the Challengers Finals seen in VCT 2021 to determine the best team from the region.
VCT Masters will be reduced to two Stages in 2022. This provides more space on the schedule for other avenues.
Timeline
Valorant Champions Tour 2022 will commence in February with the Stage 1 Challengers. The first international Masters event will start in April, with the Champions event concluding as early as September. The fourth quarter of the year will fit the new tournament circuit and the global Game Changers event.
