Find out more of what VCT Challengers has in store for the rest of the year and into the 2025 season.
With Stage 2 of Challengers in full swing and Ascension on the horizon, we wanted to share what you can expect in the latter half of the year and beyond.
TL;DR
- 2025 will introduce performance based extension for Ascension teams and remove auto-relegation
- Premier and Challengers will connect via the Premier Invite Division in every region
- The Challengers calendar will expand with new Challengers tournaments taking place in Fall 2024
Reinforcing the Path to Pro
Challenger Leagues are essential to our ecosystem, offering players the chance to hone their skills and build the recognition to realize their dreams. This year, over 50 players graduated into the International Leagues from the Tier 2 ecosystem, demonstrating that Challenger Leagues continue to provide the best pathway to the VCT. These graduates have showcased their skills at the highest level of VCT competition with former Challengers players such as Wo0t, MiniBoo, JohnQT, and N4RRATE establishing themselves on the global stage at Masters Madrid and Shanghai. As VALORANT Esports continues to evolve, we remain dedicated to building an aspirational, accessible, and sustainable Path to Pro.
Ascension: Performance-Based Promotion and Relegation
Next year, we are updating Ascension to provide teams with the ability to extend their stay in the International Leagues through a strong performance. In 2025 we are making the below changes:
- Removing auto-relegation and replacing it with a performance based criteria
- Changing Ascension term length to 1-year
- Capping the International Leagues at 12 teams
Currently, Ascension teams automatically relegate at the end of their International League term, regardless of their performance. For 2025, we are introducing a new performance based system where Ascension teams can extend or defend their slot. Ascension winners will be judged on their performance across the entire year, falling into one of the three categories:
- Extend: If an Ascension team makes it to Champions (top 4 in IL), they will extend their term for another year. If both Ascension teams make it to Champions, the team with the best performance at the tournament will stay while the other team will have the option to compete at Ascension for their spot.
- Fight: If an Ascension team finishes top 8 in the IL, they will earn a chance to defend their spot. They will need to play in Ascension against the upcoming Challengers teams to see if they can re-earn their spot in the International League or fall back to Challengers.
- Relegate: If a team fails to make it to Stage 2 Playoffs (bottom 4 in IL), they will relegate back down to their respective Challenger League. If both Ascension teams are relegated, we will bring up two new teams to give them a shot at dethroning the best teams.
To facilitate performance based promotion and relegation, and ensure that at least one team is promoted each year, Ascension teams will earn a 1-year term upon promotion, capping International Leagues at 12 teams each.
Premier & Path to Pro: Reinforcing the Foundation
Premier is the foundational step in the Path to Pro, the starting point to Champions that lives directly in the game. As we announced here, at the beginning of Episode 9 Act 1, we will launch the new Invite Division that will complete the final step of the Path to Pro. This Division will represent the highest level of in-game competition and promote teams into Challengers.
The introduction of Invite standardizes the connection from Premier to Challengers, ensuring an ongoing opportunity for teams to advance. From Episode 9, Act 1 onwards, the winner of Invite will always have the chance to compete with Challengers teams for a spot in the League. Teams from Premier will be brought up into Challengers every two Acts, as Premier runs more frequently than the longer Challenger Seasons. This updated schedule ensures the stakes for each Invite act are clear and better aligns with the Challengers calendar.
Premier already increased the opportunities for new teams to break into the Challengers League, with the May Promotion Tournament bringing 30 teams from Premier into Challenger Leagues. Premier streamlines the Path to Pro by making it straightforward and accessible for players across the globe, promoting only the best talent to the professional level In Episode 8 Act 2, players from 77 countries spanning 310 teams competed for a Challenger League qualification via the top levels of Premier.
Premier zones connect to Challenger Leagues, creating a seamless path for players from in-game competition to the VCT. Worldwide there is a clear progression through Challengers, into the International Leagues, and potentially onto the Champions stage.
Challengers: Expanding Opportunities
Since the start of VALORANT Esports, your feedback has been invaluable in highlighting where and how we can improve the VCT to better meet the needs of this community. To address the gap between Ascension and the start of the following year’s Challengers season, we announced that the Challenger Leagues season will span the entire year. These new Challenger League tournament series will bring together the top Challenger and Premier teams. Each region’s Challenger League will host a unique tournament with region specific details coming next week.
The 2025 season promises to be a landmark year for VALORANT, bringing deeper connections across all levels of play. Keep an eye out for more detailed updates on next year’s plans as we approach the conclusion of the VCT Season at Champions 2024!
