Each Challengers Ascension will have LAN playoffs and a unique format, Riot Games has announced. Ascension will run from late June to early-mid July worldwide.
Learn more about the tournaments.
Challengers Ascension are the last step in the VCT's "Path to Pro", as each one of the three regional events will give one team a two-year ticket to their respective VCT International League. The promoted teams will receive similar league benefits (currently, partnered VCT teams reportedly receive a minimum stipend of $600,000 USD).
Challengers Ascension: Pacific
- Group Stage: June 28 - July 4
- Playoffs: July 7 - 9
Pacific's Ascension will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand across 10 days of live gameplay. The 10 Challengers champions will be evenly split into two groups. The top three teams of each group will move on to the playoffs, and the best team of each group will receive a bye into the semifinals. The other four teams will begin the quarterfinals.
The playoffs will be played in a single-elimination bracket. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be BO3 matches, while the grand final will be a BO5.
Challengers Ascension: EMEA
- Play-Ins: June 22 - 27
- Group Stage: June 30 - July 4
- Playoffs: July 13 - 16
Unlike the other two regions, EMEA's Ascension is the only one to be partially played online. The second-best team of each league will be drafted to a Play-in stage, where the nine rosters will be split into three equal groups. Those will play a BO1 single round-robin, wherein the best team will move to the semifinals. The second-placed squads will play another BO1 single round-robin to determine the fourth semifinals team.
These semifinals will be BO3 matches, with a BO5 grand final scheduled. The Play-ins winner will be tenth roster taking part in Challengers Ascension.
Ascension will first split its 10 teams into two groups of five. The BO3 single round-robin will narrow the competition down to just four teams. The playoffs will then move to the VCT EMEA Coliseum in Berlin, where the four teams will play a single-elimination bracket with BO3 semifinals and a BO5 grand final.
Challengers Ascension: Americas
- Dates: June 30 - July 9
All of Americas' Challengers Ascension tournament will be held in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of six teams — two from NA, Brazil, and one each from North and South LATAM — will be placed into two equal groups. The single round-robin format will seed every team into a double-elimination bracket, where the best team of each group will get a first-round bye.
The entire playoffs bracket will have BO3 matches, with a BO5 grand final. Exact dates and venue details have not yet been revealed.
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