Format of the VCT Game Changers EMEA 2023

The Game Changers were created with the goal of providing a safe and inclusive competitive environment for female players around the world. In order to make competition accessible to more and more people, Riot Games has announced changes in the format of the circuit, in EMEA. Although we already knew that new tournaments would be held, there was still a lack of information about them. Some of the unknowns have been cleared up by Ashley Washington, Product Lead on the circuit, during an interview. We explain what's new.

As in previous editions, the EMEA Game Changers are divided into three separate tournaments, spread over the coming months. Each time, the teams, divided into two groups of eight, compete for seven days of regular season. The Round-Robin format was chosen for this stage. This means that each team meets the other seven opponents. All matches are BO3.

At the end of this first phase, the TOP 6 will take part in the playoffs. In contrast to the previous phase, the format was a double elimination bracket. All matches are BO3, except for the Finals, which are BO5.

At the end of the various competitions, the two best performing teams will represent the EMEA region at the Game Changers Championship, a tournament that recognises the best players in the world.

All EMEA Game Changers include a total of 16 teams. The difference between the tournaments lies in the way the teams are selected. For the first one, Riot Games invited five teams, the other eleven won their place via an Open Qualifier.

Fourteen of them will be automatically selected for Stage 2. This time there is no qualification in sight, the two remaining slots will be awarded via a brand new promotional channel, the Game Changers: Contenders. The same process will be used to determine the qualified teams for the final stage of the season.

The Contenders are a second-tier circuit, this is similar to the Valorant Challengers League for the VCT. In order to qualify, teams wishing to participate have two methods.

This will allow them to stand out within the Emergents. The latter are simply smaller tournaments, in the style of the Valorant Open Tour France. The exact number is not known at the moment, but it seems that there will be several before each Contender.

If they fail to make it to the top of the tables, teams can also try to win a slot via future regional Open Qualifiers. For more information, please refer to the official Games Changers website.

The matches will be broadcast live on the Twitch channel Valorant EMEA. The first stage starts on 24th April with the match between