The top teams coming out of the Swiss Stage at VCT Masters Shanghai have the opportunity to pick their next series.
We're on the way to VCT Masters Shanghai. The second VALORANT Masters tournament of the year commences after a brutal Stage 1 for many teams. And this tournament will make it even more brutal, as the top seeded teams after the Swiss Stage at Masters Shanghai, get to choose their opponents.
This comes directly from Leo Faria, the Global Head of VALORANT Esports.
Masters Shanghai introduces new segment where top teams pick their matchup
VCT Masters Shanghai takes place from May 23 through June 9. It will see 12 of the world's best VALORANT teams compete for championship points that help them reach the finale in Seoul, South Korea in August.
And for the first time ever, matches will be chosen by those who exit the Swiss Stage of Masters Shanghai as a top seeded team:
"We are introducing a new segment that will increase competition stakes by giving higher seeded teams the power to choose their opponents following the Swiss stage, thus placing their fate in their own hands."
This is unprecedented in VALORANT, as every event before dealt with placement seedings or random draws. Is this something that will persist going forward? We'll have to see how it works during Masters Shanghai, as an advantage like it during VALORANT Champions would be huge.
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Masters Madrid success set the stage for Masters Shanghai
Masters Madrid was the most-watched VCT event in history. It garnered a peak concurrent viewership total of 3.1 million spectators. Per Riot Games, that is 48% more viewers than what VCT Masters Tokyo had in 2023.
Because of this, Riot Games is upping the stakes for VCT Masters Shanghai. That is the reason behind such a drastic addition to the competition, in terms of the top seeded teams coming from the Swiss Stage choosing their opponents.
"Masters Madrid surpassed our expectations, and we're using that momentum to implement exciting updates to our next event.”
It is also the reason for Masters Shanghai taking place at the largest venue in the VCT's short life thus far. The event culminates at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, where thousands of fans will watch the best do battle.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and VALORANT coverage.
