VCT Challengers 2024 will change drastically to include Premier in the competitive scene and adjust the sports experience. For the next year, Riot Games will bring changes to various competitive structures and be built in favor of aspiring players.
When building Valorant, Riot Games deeply considered its very own competitive scene which would rival other competitive shooters. With the emergence of VCT, the esports industry saw a new revolution that showcased a new set of gaming legends.
Over the years, the structuring for the shooter’s esports scene has been adjusted in various ways and will happen again in 2024. Riot Games explained their new structuring for next year and we have plotted everything you need to know.Vcalorant
Everything to know about VCT Challengers 2024
VCT Challengers will be happening throughout 2024 and will be followed at a steady rate within the Tier 2 framework. The next season of the tournament will be happening after two stages, which ensures equal possibilities for every player.
New stage structuring built with inclusion of Premier
The first stage will kick off in January and the next stage in May, each of these stages will be followed by Playoffs. All the qualified teams from each of these tournaments will be facing off in a separate tournament named Ascension. As mentioned before Ascension is scheduled to start in September and will end in the same month.
Here’s a detailed calendar explanation for the tournament taking place next year for the competitive shooter:
- Stage 1: January to April 2024
- Stage 1 Playoffs: April 2024
- Promotion and Relegation 1: May 2024
- Stage 2: May to July 2024
- Stage 2 Playoffs: July to August 2024
- Promotion and Relegation 2: August 2024
- Ascension: September 2024
VCT Challengers will remain similar to last year and feature Open Qualifiers with the inclusion of former high-tier teams from the 2023 Season. Both stages will end with a Playoff and feature the best teams in one big showdown. However, the league will function in different ways for various regions, and information regarding it will be shared via region-specific channels.
Promotion and Relegation events are new additions for Season 2024 and integrate Premier to build a more open competitive scene. In this way, high-tier Premier teams can compete to get a spot for Stage 2 or Season 2025. Thus, if there are teams that aspire to qualify through this system, have to wait for region-specific information in early November 2024.
After the conclusion of the 2024 Ascension Matchup in September, Riot Games will be instantly kicking off the Challengers 2025 Season in October. Riot Games aims to minimize gaps in the event calendars and give Ascension winners more time to prepare for International tournaments.
New policies included with VCT Challengers 2024
Riot Games wishes to include new policies at the start of next year to create more opportunities for the players. One of the main goals is to improve talent development by providing more flexibility to teams, where they can deploy players in competitions. The three policies include Affiliate Partnerships, Two-Way Players, and Player Loans, and each is explained as follows:
- Affiliate Partnerships will allow teams from the International Leagues to build partnerships with Challenger and Game Changers teams. Teams who establish an affiliate partnership will be unlocked to collaborate more closely on content and other commercial partnerships. Affiliate partnerships with Challenger teams must occur within the same region. However, affiliate partnerships with Game Changers teams have no regional restrictions. These partnerships will also unlock the ability to implement Two-Way players.
- Two-Way Players policy is an attempt to solve a problem we frequently see within the International Leagues. Last year substitute players signed to IL rosters weren’t receiving play time and thus losing out on building relevant experience within the competition. With the introduction of Two-Way Players, players who may not be seeing full-time play on the starting roster of an International League team may play down on the Affiliate Partner Team’s roster in Challengers and Game Changers, giving those players valuable competitive experience instead of being relegated to the bench.
- Player Loans will also be introduced alongside Two-Way Players to help bolster player developmental opportunities. In 2024, International League Teams will be permitted to loan players on their roster to other teams outside of the International Leagues, such as Challengers or Game Changers teams. Unlike Two-Way Players, these loaned players will not be eligible to compete for their parent team until the loan expires. However, these player loans are not tied to the Affiliate Partnerships system. Thus, providing a wider range of destination teams for the loaned player.
All these changes are made in hopes of creating a more thriving competitive ecosystem and making way for fresh players. Moreover, the Affiliate Partnership system creates a more engaging and open experience. That’s all Riot Games has shared about the new Seaonal system for VCT CHallengers 2024.
