After previously sharing its philosophy for the Challengers ecosystem going forward, Riot has expanded on the initial plans, providing further details for the upcoming 2024 season. Premier and region-specific information will be announced at a later date.
Riot reaffirms that Challengers will continue throughout the year, addressing concerns of a long off-season for tier 2. Some teams ended their year as early as May 15, with the final Challengers match of the year, the Ascension EMEA final, taking place on July 16.
Riot aims to reduce downtime with the expanded calendar. (Image by Riot Games)
Competition begins in January for certain regions, with Ascension taking place in September, after Champions 2024. The 2025 season will begin in October 2024, helping minimize downtimes while allowing Ascended teams time to prepare and integrate into the VCT Leagues.
Promotion and Relegation in between Stages will be introduced, making way for Premier teams to earn a spot in the Challengers circuit.
As mentioned before, partnered teams will have an opportunity to establish partnerships with Challengers and Game Changers teams. This will allow the option of having Two-Way players, as well as encouraging closer commercial and content collaboration. With VCT teams no longer requiring a sixth player, they will have the option to designate certain players on their roster as Two-Way players, allowing them to participate in Challengers or Game Changers with the organization's affiliate team.
Finally, player loans have been implemented as an alternative to substitute players. VCT teams will be allowed to loan any player on their roster to any Challengers or Game Changers team. Unlike Two-Way players, loaned players will not be able to play for the VCT team while they are loaned.
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