Valorant's International League VCT Pacific joins two more teams next year to operate as 12 teams
Dec 17, 2024
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Next year, Nongshim Red Force and BOOM Esports will join, and VCT Pacific will operate with 12 teams. These teams compete for $250,000 in total prize money, along with the opportunity to participate in international events such as the Masters and Champions as regional representatives.
It plans to expand the season to provide more games to fans while maintaining a stable schedule for teams throughout the year. In 2024, only the Masters winners were given championship points, but in the 2025 season, more teams were adjusted to earn points through international events. At the end of the season, two teams that qualify through the Stage 2 playoffs and two more teams that have collected the most championship points will compete in the Championship. Teams that have consistently performed well throughout the season will qualify for the stage to determine the world's strongest.
The 2025 season will open on January 18 next year. Twelve teams will participate in the VCT Pacific Kickoff Tournament, which will run over a total of 12 days until February 9, and play in a double elimination manner. The four teams that competed in the Valorant Champions this season, Gen.G., Paper Rex, DRX, and Talon Esports, will be seeded and compete from the second round of the top group. Nongshim Red Force and Boom Esports, who compete through 2024 Ascension, will be allocated to opposite brackets in the first round. The remaining teams are decided by random lottery. The top two teams to reach the VCT Pacific Kickoff Final qualify for the Masters Bangkok, the first international event of 2025 and the first in Southeast Asia.
In the later VCT Pacific Stage 1, 12 teams will be divided into two groups, six according to kickoff performance, and will compete in a single round robin format within each group. The top four teams in each group advance to the playoffs and continue their matches with double elimination matches. A total of the top three teams, including two teams in the final and one team in the lower group, will qualify for the Masters Toronto.
Once the Masters Toronto is completed, the participating teams will return to the international leagues in their region and resume competition. In Stage 2, Stage 2 groups are reorganized according to each team's Stage 1 group stage ranking. After the draw, the first or second place team of each group changes the group, then the third or fourth place team, and then the fifth or sixth place team changes the group. Through this reorganization process, Riot Games plans to maintain a dynamic structure throughout the tournament while maintaining a balance of competition.
The 12 teams will play in a single round robin within the reorganized group, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the playoffs, competing for two 2025 Championships and the Pacific Championship title. Based on the championship points earned during the 2025 season, two more teams will qualify for the championship.
bluesky@sportschosun.com
