The dawn of the Valorant Esports 2024 season brings with it a wave of anticipation and excitement, promising fans and players alike an exhilarating journey through a revamped competitive landscape. This year’s edition introduces a significant expansion, with promoted teams from the previous season joining the fray, and a new league, VCT CN, making its debut. The stage is set for 11 teams from each International League to vie for the prestigious title of Valorant World Champion, marking a substantial growth in the scale and intensity of the competition.
At the heart of the season lies the Valorant Esports 2024 Kickoff Tournament, a pivotal event set to unfold in February. Serving as the initial battleground, this tournament not only determines two qualifying teams per league for Masters Madrid but also establishes early frontrunners on both the regional and international fronts. With a carefully structured format, including group stages, play-in stages, and playoffs, the Kickoff Tournament sets the tone for an intense and competitive season ahead. As teams gear up to navigate through Masters tournaments, stages, and playoffs, the introduction of Championship Points as a metric adds a strategic layer to the competition, recognizing consistent performance throughout the season. With new teams, revamped structures, and an ever-evolving Valorant meta, the Valorant Esports 2024 season promises to be the most captivating chapter in the history of Valorant Esports.
THE #VCT RETURNS FEBRUARY 16TH!
Here’s everything you need to know about VCT 2024 👇 pic.twitter.com/nwP6RyW1Gu
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) January 17, 2024
Meet Valorant Esports 2024 Competitors: An Expanded Field
One of the key highlights of the upcoming season is the expansion of participating teams. With the inclusion of promoted teams from 2023, each International League (IL) will field 11 teams, all vying for the coveted title of Valorant World Champion. Notably, the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) will witness the VCT CN league’s introduction, marking a fourth league’s addition to the competitive landscape. Teams will navigate through the Kickoff Tournament, two stages of the IL competition, and two international Masters tournaments to secure a spot at Champions 2024.
Valorant Esports 2024 Kickoff Tournament: A Pivotal Starting Point
Set to commence in February, the Kickoff Tournament is a crucial starting point for the season, determining two qualifying teams per league for Masters Madrid. This approach, introduced last season, effectively establishes early frontrunners at both regional and international levels.
Valorant Esports 2024 International League Start Dates:
- February 16: VCT Americas
- February 17: VCT Pacific
- February 20: VCT EMEA
- February 22: VCT CN
Valorant Esports 2024 Kickoff Format:
Group Stage:
- Eleven teams will be seeded and split into three groups.
- Two groups will consist of four teams, while one group will feature three teams.
- The region’s top team, the highest-placing team at Champions 2023, receives a bye to the second round and is placed in the group of three.
- The remaining 10 teams are sorted into pools based on their 2023 performance and drawn into the remaining 10 slots.
- Each group features a double-elimination bracket with Best-of-3 matches.
- The winning team of each group advances to the Playoff Stage.
- The second-place team of each group proceeds to the Play-In stage.
Play-In Stage:
- The three second-place teams face off in a round-robin format, with one team earning a spot in the Playoff Stage.
Playoff Stage:
- Four teams compete through a single-elimination bracket, with the two finalists securing their place for Masters Madrid.
- The team from the Play-In stage is placed on the opposite side of the bracket from the team from their original group.
- The Kickoff winner receives preferential seeding at Masters Madrid and three Championship points toward their qualification to Champions.
Valorant Esports 2024 Season Format: The Climb to Champions
Following Masters Madrid, Stage 1 unfolds from April to early May, paving the way for the top three teams from each league to qualify for the subsequent global event, Masters Shanghai.
Stage 2 kicks off immediately after Masters Shanghai, qualifying four teams from each region for Valorant Champions. The winner of the Season Playoffs claims the IL Champion title and earns the #1 seed for their region at Champions. Notably, three teams will secure Champions qualifications by finishing in the top three of the Stage 2 Playoffs, while the fourth team will earn their spot through Championship Points.
In 2024, Championship Points become the metric to gauge teams’ performance throughout the season, recognizing season-long consistency in securing Champions Qualification. Here’s how it works:
- Winning your regional Kickoff, Masters Madrid, Masters Shanghai, Stage 1 Playoffs, and Stage 2 Playoffs earns a team 3 points.
- Each match won during Stages 1 & 2 contributes 1 point to the team’s tally, with 10 regular-season matches per team across both stages.
- The first and second seed in each Stage Playoffs enjoy a bye to the second round and earn an extra point, reflecting their access to one less match.
With new teams entering the fray, a revamped competitive structure, and updates to Valorant, the stage is set for the most thrilling season in Valorant Esports to date.
Conclusion
The Valorant Esports 2024 emerges as a pivotal chapter in the game’s competitive history, marked by unprecedented growth and innovation. The expanded field of participating teams, including those promoted from the previous season, sets the stage for a more diverse and intense competition. The addition of the VCT CN league not only broadens the geographical footprint but also introduces fresh dynamics, enhancing the global appeal of Valorant Esports.
Valorant Esports 2024 Kickoff Tournament, with its intricate format and regional qualifiers, promises to be a thrilling precursor to the larger battles ahead. By strategically integrating Championship Points as a metric for team performance, the season emphasizes consistency and rewards sustained excellence across multiple tournaments. The revamped competitive structure, coupled with updates to Valorant itself, adds layers of complexity and excitement, ensuring that players and fans alike are in for a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the season.
As teams gear up to navigate the Road to Champions, the landscape of Valorant Esports 2024 undergoes a transformation that reflects Riot Games’ commitment to fostering a vibrant and competitive community. The stage is set for not just a series of tournaments but a narrative of skill, strategy, and determination that will unfold across continents, ultimately culminating in the crowning of the Valorant World Champion. Brace yourselves for a season that promises to redefine the esports experience and solidify Valorant’s position at the forefront of competitive gaming.
