With only a few days left for VCT to begin, let’s take a look at the NA VCT 2022 Stage 1 format, schedule, and where to register.
Valorant Champions Tour 2021 was a huge success, with teams from across the globe competing for one title. And going into 2022 Riot wants to continue the same hype, but with a few changes to the format.
Last year’s format was a bit straightforward where the top teams didn’t have much playtime. They mostly qualified in the initial stages and were forced to wait till the main event. However, going into 2022 Riot has made some impressive changes.
So the stage 1 of the North American VCT is divided into 3 parts, which are:
- Open Qualifiers
- Main Event
- Playoffs
Now, let’s take a deeper dive into the format and understand how it works.
Also Read: 100 Thieves Valorant Roster: Hiko, Asuna, Ethen, Ec1s, and BabyJ
NA VCT 2022 Stage 1 Format
Open Qualifiers
There will be a total of 2 Open qualifiers. Open qualifiers #1 will be between 27th January to 30th January, and Open Qualifiers #2 will be between February 3 to February 6th.
From each qualifier, the top 4 teams will qualify into the Stage 1 Main event. The seeding for each team is based on their previous performance. All the matches are in Best of 3 formats, with the Round of 128 and Round of 64 being single-elimination matches and the rest being double-elimination matches.
To register for the open qualifiers:
Open Qualifier #1 registration closes on January 24 at 7 am PST
Open Qualifier #2 registration closes on January 31 at 7 am PST
Main Event
The Main Event consists of 12 teams, where 8 teams qualify through the open qualifiers and 4 are invited based on their performance in VCT 2021. The 4 teams which are invited to the Main Event are:
- Sentinels
- Cloud 9 Blue
- Envy
- 100 Thieves
The Stage 1 Main Event is a Month long tournament, with matches every Friday to Sunday for 5 weeks.
The 12 teams will be divided into 2 groups of 6 and matches will be held against each other.
All Matches are the Best of 3 Format, with the top 8 teams qualifying for the Stage 1 Playoffs.
Playoffs
The top 8 teams will compete in a double eliminating bracket, with matches every Thursday to Sunday for two weeks. The playoffs will start on March 17th. All matches except the Upper and Lower Finals will be best of 3 formats, with the finals being best of 5 formats.
From the playoffs, only 2 teams can make it to the Masters 1 of the VCT 2022. So, the top 2 teams will get to show off their skill on an international level.
NA VCT 2022 Stage 1 Schedule
- Open Qualifier #1 (January 27 – January 30)
- Jan 27 & Jan 28 – Matches begin at 3 pm PST
- Jan 29 & Jan 30 – Matches begin at 12 pm PST
- Open Qualifier #2 (February 3 – February 6)
- Feb 3 & Feb 4 – Matches begin at 3 pm PST
- Feb 5 & Feb 6 – Matches begin at 12 pm PST
- Main Event (February 11 – March 13)
- Matches between every Friday – Sunday for five weeks
- All match days begin at 12 pm PST
- Playoffs (March 17 – March 27)
- Matches between every Thursday – Sunday for two weeks
- All match days begin at 12 pm PST
