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Riot Games today revealed new details about next year’s Valorant Champions Tour, as well as plans to expand the Challenger ranks for years to come. Challengers who win in the Ascension tournaments will be invited to the following year’s international competitions.
According to Riot, the upcoming season will feature 21 regional circuits in the Americas, APAC and EMEA. Each Challenger team is promoted to international competitions for two years. The three corresponding international competitions will be expanded with one team until 2027, when each will have 14 teams.
Whalen Rozelle, Riot Games’ head of esports operations, said in a statement: “Over the past few months, the overwhelming demand from teams to compete in the Valorant esports ecosystem has prompted us to expand our plans for VCT Challengers. A strong Challenger ecosystem is an important part of the long-term success of Valorant esports, and we believe connecting every level of the pyramid is the best way to give aspiring stars the chance to shine and teams to compete to meaningful, high-stakes matches.”
This is part of a larger overhaul of Valorant’s esports scene by Riot Games. The company also establishes long-term, permanent partnerships with certain teams. Riot is currently conducting a selection process to choose these teams.
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