Riot have unveiled details regarding the connection between Premier, their in-game tournament system, and Challengers, which will kick off in 2024.
In a blog post, Riot outlined the requirements that players will need to fulfill before attempting to qualify for Challengers. In line with their 2024 Premier changes, players will need to be in the Contender division of Premier. To reach Contender, players will need to be ranked Immortal 3 or higher. Both Immortal 3+ and Contender status are requirements in this inaugural and "transitional" phase.
Premier players will also all need to be aged 16 or higher to qualify for Challengers, as that is the minimum age requirement for the Challengers leagues globally, and three members of the team must be from the same region. VCL or VCT players may not compete within Premier, but Game Changers competitors will be eligible for Premier. Account-sharing, as is usual in competition, is forbidden.
Image by Riot Games
The first stage of Premier kicks off in January, in a similar timeframe to the first stage of the Challengers leagues in 2024. Players must be Immortal 3+ by Jan. 10, when Episode 8 Act 1 kicks off. Contender-eligible players must be registered between Jan. 8 and 17, with specifics on the path to each Challengers region varying thereafter.
There will be two playoffs, roughly set for early March and late April. The second stage of Premier will host the Premier Contender Playoffs, which will qualify teams to the Challengers Promotion and Relegation Tournament. The calendar and specifics on relegation will vary per region.
The company has also revealed what path each region will qualify to Challengers through.
Image via Riot Games
Premier will work alongside Regional Circuits, VRCs, to promote teams into Challengers for the start of 2024. Riot's long-term vision is to "promote teams into Challengers exclusively via Premier." In August, Riot stated that two teams from each VCL will be relegated to fight against the Premier teams for the next stage's Challengers slots. This number will grow as Premier gains a larger role in qualifying teams to Challengers.
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