VCT's Stage 1: Challengers 2 qualifier will go through drastic format changes.

An update on the #VALORANTChallengers EU Qualifier format. vct.gg/news/100900-ch…
12:04 PM · Feb 12, 2021 ·
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Riot has addressed widespread criticism of the first qualifier's format by implementing changes for the remainder of Stage 1, which encompasses a two Challengers and a Masters event.

The first qualifier featured only Bo1 games up until the round of 32, while only the first round will be Bo1 going forward. Riot has also reduced the signup limit to 232 teams, inviting back 12 teams from the first qualifier—the losers of the round of 16 and quarterfinals. Riot has made a one-time exception for the upcoming qualifier, placing 14 teams directly into the round of 128.

This means teams such as Alliance Alliance Inactive , Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Unranked trexx Nikita Cherednichenko Derke Nikita Sirmitev Kicks Kimmie Laasner Sayf Saif Jibraeel Less Felipe de Loyola Basso , and HEET HEET Inactive Kinguyen Nguyen Thach memset Laurent Werly b2kk Sofian Delimi Monstrum Jake Byrne waddle Wadir Taraki will start in the round of 128 alongside European giants G2 Esports G2 Esports Inactive , Guild Esports Guild Esports Inactive , FNATIC FNATIC Europe Unranked crashies Austin Roberts Boaster Jake Howlett kaajak Kajetan Haremski Chronicle Timofey Khromov Alfajer Emir Ali Beder and Team Liquid Team Liquid Europe Unranked paTiTek Patryk Fabrowski kamyk Maks Rychlewski nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin Keiko Georgio Sanassy kamo Kamil Frąckowiak —the four teams that fell in the previous quarterfinals.

The format will then repeat for the third Challengers' qualifier. In the announcement, Riot did not reveal whether this change would carry into the second and third Stages of the Valorant Champions Tour.