VALORANT Champions Tour 2023 Esports Schedule And VCT Calendar

VALORANT is Riot Games’ 5v5 tactical first-person shooter that has seen high-level professional competition since its official release in 2020. VALORANT differs from games like CS:GO with agents players pick that give them abilities that help win rounds and games at all levels of play.

The Professional VALORANT Circuit

The structured professional circuit for VALORANT is the VALORANT Champions Tour. There is a semi-pro Challengers circuit of minor regional leagues as well as partnered teams across multiple regions around the world in the pro system. VCT leagues feed into the larger and more prestigious VCT Masters and VCT Champions events throughout the year.

VALORANT Champions Tour Leagues

The VALORANT Champions Tour is split into three separate franchised international leagues: EMEA League, Americas League and Pacific League. This is similar to Riot Games’ structure for their other major esports title League of Legends.

VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA League

There are ten partner teams within the 2023 VCT EMEA League with partner organisations from across Europe, CIS and Turkey. This league is played in Berlin. The seven EMEA minor regional leagues are Northern Europe, Southern Europe, France & Benelux, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Turkey, Eastern Europe and MENA (Middle East & North Africa).

• FNATIC
• Team Liquid
• Team Vitality
• Karmine Corp
• Team Heretics
• Giants
• Natus Vincere
• FUT Esports
• BBL Esports
• KOI

While the early days of VALORANT were split by region due to the pandemic, Europe has maintained a strong professional scene. One of the most notable EU VALORANT teams, G2 Esports, were denied VCT partnership entirely despite being one of the first to sign a roster in VALORANT. Spanish star mixwell has since found a home on Team Heretics. FunPlus Phoenix, who were champions of VCT Masters Copenhagen, were also not one of the partnered teams.

Turkey has also had a presence in VALORANT from the beginning so it is no surprise to see two Turkish organisations in the EMEA league.

VALORANT Champions Tour Americas League

There are ten partner teams within the 2023 VCT Americas League with partner organisations from across the Americas. This league is played in Los Angeles. The four Americas minor regional leagues are North America, Latin America North, Brazil and Latin America South.

• Sentinels
• 100 Thieves
• Cloud9
• NRG
• Evil Geniuses
• FURIA Esports
• LOUD
• MIBR
• KRU Esports
• Leviatan

LOUD were the most recent VALORANT Champions winners, finishing second to OpTic Gaming, who were not accepted as a partner team for Americas. The same two teams were finalists in VALORANT Masters Reykjavík, only with OpTic beating LOUD in the earlier tournament.

Of the former OpTic players, only yay so far has found a place on a partner team roster, signing for Cloud9.

VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific League

There are ten partner teams within the 2023 VCT Pacific League with partner organisations from various locations across Asia. This league is played in Seoul. The ten Pacific minor regional leagues are South Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia & Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and Oceania.

• ZETA DIVISION
• DetonatioN Gaming
• Gen.G
• T1
• DRX
• Team Secret
• Paper Rex
• Rex Regnum Qeon
• Talon Esports
• Global Esports

While the Pacific region countries are not usually synonymous with FPS titles, VALORANT has seen high interest and success across Asia and Oceania. DRX made a deep run at VALORANT Champions 2022 and Paper Rex has consistently shown up internationally.

Talon Esports’ new roster for 2023 is yet to be announced and they remain the only team to not have the majority of their players confirmed. Previously, they held a mainly Filipino squad of markL, gnaru, Drei and PatMen, rounded out with Korean player UdoTan.

VALORANT Champions Tour Masters

The VALORANT Champions Tour Masters events took place twice a year, with locations so far being Reykjavík, Berlin and Copenhagen. The location and number of 023 Masters events are still to be announced.

VCT Masters are similar to the Mid-Season Invitational found in League of Legends. Masters sees multiple VALORANT regions claim domestic spots for the international event, with only 12 total teams participating.

VALORANT Champions 2023

VALORANT Champions are the biggest events in the VALORANT esports calendar. The Champions events take place in different countries around the world. Past Champions have been hosted in Berlin and Istanbul.

VALORANT Ascension Tournaments

Each international territory (EMEA, Americas and Pacific) will have their own VALORANT Ascension tournament in 2023. Their respective minor regional leagues will each compete for a spot in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2024 circuit.

There are 21 total territories that will compete in VALORANT Ascension, with ten minor regional leagues in the Pacific, four in the Americas and seven in EMEA.

VALORANT Kickoff Tournament

Riot Games is hosting the VALORANT Kickoff Tournament in São Paulo, Brazil ahead of the 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour international leagues. This tournament will feature all 30 partner teams from the EMEA, Americas and Pacific regions.

The format of the VALORANT Kickoff Tournament is yet to be confirmed but it will run from 14th February until 5th March 2023. The map pool of Bind, Haven, Ascent, Icebox, Breeze, Fracture and Pearl will feature for the event.

How To Watch VALORANT Champions Tour

The VALORANT Champions Tour games are broadcast on both Twitch and YouTube on the official VALORANT Champions Tour channels.

To watch VCT matches on Twitch.

Watching on YouTube is done via the VALORANT Esports channel.

Co-streaming saw community figures and streamers such as Shroud, tarik, DrDisrespect, Ludwig and Valkyrae host their own watch parties for VCT events throughout 2021. 2023 VCT co-streams being invite-only was teased previously and may be the way forward from Riot.

Summary

The professional VALORANT scene in 2023 will be full of various tournaments through the VALORANT Champions Tour at both the top level and for semi-pro rising stars.

While VALORANT Champions and VALORANT Masters will be the big international events, the international leagues and minor regional leagues will ensure VALORANT competition throughout 2023.

For long-term fans or people wanting to know what all the hype is about, there has never been a better time to start watching VALORANT as Riot Games takes the pro scene to the next level.