VCT Lock//IN and Master Tokyo: Who Qualified for VCT Champions 2023
Which team will leave Brazil victorious?
Following the success of the two previous Valorant Champions events, VCT Lock//IN Sao Paulo and Masters Tokyo, Riot Games have upped the ante yet again for 2023 by setting the world championship in LA to end the first year of the partnered league format.
Sixteen teams from EMEA, the Americas, the Pacific, and China will take to the stage at this season-ending championship, which will mark the first top esports international Valorant event in North America. The game has proved massively popular in the region thanks to teams like Sentinels, OpTic Gaming, and 100 Thieves, and fans are expected to flock to Los Angeles to watch the matches in person.
Below is everything you need to know about Valorant Champions 2023. Keep an eye out closer to the start date for more betting tips and esports odds!
Dates, schedule, and format
Valorant Champions 2023 will take place from August 6 through 26. This will be about two months after VCT Masters Tokyo and five after VCT Lock//IN Sao Paulo, right after the international leagues’ last-chance qualifier tournaments. The event will be held across two locations, with the earlier rounds taking place at the Shrine Auditorium and the latter stages moving to the Kia Forum.
The 16 participating teams will come from EMEA, the Americas, the Pacific, and China. Riot Games has yet to announce the format for the event. Still, based on previous international events, the tournament should start with a group stage followed by a double-elimination playoff bracket.
Participating Teams
Riot Games announced after the VCT Lock//IN Sao Paulo event how many teams from each region would be invited to the Valorant Champions 2023 in August. Each of the three international leagues will be represented by a minimum of four teams at Valorant Champions, while China will bring a contingent of at least three teams to Los Angeles. The final spot will go to the winning region (or country, in China’s case) of VCT Masters Tokyo.
DRX and Paper Rex were the first two teams to qualify for Valorant Champions 2023 after reaching the VCT Pacific league’s upper bracket final. T1 also booked their spot after beating Gen.G in the lower bracket of the VCT Pacific League.
The results of VCT Masters Tokyo will determine the three EMEA spots. The three best-placed EMEA teams at the Japanese event will automatically qualify for Valorant Champions, while the worst-placed squad will have to go through EMEA’s last-chance qualifier.
Here are all the teams that have qualified for Valorant Champions 2023 so far:
- LOUD
- Paper Rex
- Evil Geniuses
- DRX
- Fnatic
- Team Liquid
- T1
- NRG
- FUT Esports
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
