The VCT 2024 kickoff tournament format is here, along with a look at the rest of the season’s schedule and Championship Points.
The 2024 VALORANT Champions Tour is scheduled to begin in February. Unlike 2023, there will be no LOCK//IN. Instead, the 2024 VCT begins with a kickoff format, followed by a lengthy season filled with competition leading into Champions.
We've already been given the start date for each international league. Now, we have details on tournament formats, championship point allocation, and much more prior to the start of the 2024 competitive VALORANT season.
VCT 2024 kickoff tournament format
The four VCT international leagues consist of 11 teams. They will all begin their year in the same fashion, with the kickoff tournament. There's a group stage, a play-in stage, and final playoff bracket to determine who will head to Masters Madrid.
- Group Stage: Two groups will feature four teams, with one group of three. The region's top placing team at Champions 2023 is in the three-team group and gets a bye to the second round. Each group is a double elimination bracket. Lastly, the winning team moves to the playoffs with the group's runner up going to the play-in stage.
- Play-In Stage: This stage is simple. The three teams placed here do battle in a round robin format. The top team secures the final playoff spot.
- Playoff Stage: The final portion of the VCT 2024 kickoff tournament is a four-team single elimination bracket. The top two teams make it to Masters Madrid, with the winner receiving preferential seeding and 3 Championship Points.
Championship Points and remainder of the season
Masters Madrid takes place right after the VCT 2024 kickoff tournaments. Following that, we'll see Stage 1 run from April to early May. The pool expands heading into Masters Shanghai, with the top three teams from Stage 1 punching their ticket.
Then, you guessed it, Stage 2 begins right after Masters Shanghai to decide four teams from each international league for VALORANT Champions. Three teams earn qualification through the Stage 2 playoffs with the fourth determined via Championship Points.
Here's how Championship Points are earned with the new 2024 VCT format:
- Kickoff Tournament - 3 Points
- Masters Madrid - 3 Points
- Masters Shanghai - 3 Points
- Stage 1 Playoffs - 3 Points
- Stage 2 Playoffs - 3 Points
- Match Wins In Stage 1 and 2 - 1 Point Each
- 1st and 2nd Seed teams in Stage 1 and 2 Playoffs receive an additional point to make up for having a bye to the second round.
Accumulating Championship Points is a surefire way to make it to Champions 2024 if the Stage 2 Playoffs don't work out in a team's favor. More information on seeding and broadcast schedule will come straight from the international league's closer to the start of the kickoff events.
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