European VALORANT Teams Set to Compete in EU VCT Stage Three Challengers One
Eight teams from Europe have successfully made it through the open and closed qualifiers to secure a spot in the main event of EU VCT Stage Three Challengers One. These teams will be battling it out in a double-elimination bracket for a chance to win €35,000 and secure four slots in the EMEA Challengers Playoffs in August.
All eight teams have advanced through the closed qualifier. Six teams were directly invited to the closed qualifier based on their performances in EU VCT Stage Two, namely Fnatic, Team Liquid, Acend, Guild Esports, Team BDS, and FunPlus Phoenix. G2 Esports and Rix.GG Thunder had to fight their way through the open qualifiers to earn their spot, while other teams like Alliance, Team Heretics, and Excel fell short.
Stage Three marks a format expansion in the European region. In Stage One, the main events of the Challengers were just a single round of single-elimination. In Stage Two, it was expanded to a full single-elimination bracket. Now, in Stage Three, we will witness a double-elimination bracket. The entire EMEA region is experiencing the format expansion, with a 12-team double-elimination bracket for the Challengers Playoffs and four spots at Masters Three Berlin, compared to just two in Reykjavík.
This will also be the last event where the new agent KAY/O will be disabled. Starting from Challengers Two, players will have the option to select KAY/O as their agent. All matches in the tournament will be best-of-three. The four teams that do not qualify for the EMEA Challengers Playoffs will directly qualify for Challengers Two.
Participating Teams
- Fnatic
- Team Liquid
- G2 Esports
- Acend
- Guild Esports
- Rix.GG Thunder
- Team BDS
- FunPlus Phoenix
Bracket and Schedule
The opening round will see a rematch between Liquid and Fnatic. Liquid emerged victorious in their first encounter in the EMEA Challengers Finals grand finals, but Fnatic got their revenge in the lower bracket of Masters Two Reykjavík. Another exciting matchup awaits as Guild faces Team BDS, with Sweden taking on France. Two top teams from 2020, FPX and G2, will also clash, while the surprise team of EU Masters One, Acend, will go up against the surprise of this qualifier, Rix.GG Thunder.
July 7
- 7am CT: Upper bracket quarterfinals
- Team Liquid 2-1 Fnatic (FNC 13-11 Breeze, TL 13-9 Bind, FNC 13-11 Haven)
- Guild Esports 2-1 Team BDS (BDS 13-9 Icebox, GLD 13-11 Haven, GLD 13-7 Ascent)
- 10am CT: Upper bracket quarterfinals
- FunPlus Phoenix 2-0 G2 Esports (13-4 Icebox, 13-4 Ascent)
- Acend 2-0 Rix.GG Thunder (13-6 Bind, 13-4 Ascent)
- 1pm CT: Lower bracket round one
- Liquid 2-0 BDS (14-12 Split, 14-12 Haven)
- G2 2-0 Rix.GG (13-9 Bind, 13-7 Breeze)
July 8
- 10am CT: Upper bracket semifinals
- Guild Esports 2-1 Fnatic (Fnatic 13-11 Ascent, Guild 13-6 Icebox, Guild 13-9 Haven)
- Acend 2-1 FPX (Acend 13-3 Bind, FPX 13-7 Icebox, Acend 13-7 Haven)
- 1pm CT: Lower bracket round two
- FPX 2-0 Team Liquid (13-9 Haven, 13-9 Ascent)
- G2 Esports 2-0 Fnatic (13-9 Icebox, 17-15 Haven)
July 9
- 10am CT: Upper bracket final
- Acend 2-0 Guild Esports (13-6 Breeze, 13-8 Haven)
- 1pm CT: Lower bracket round three
- G2 Esports 2-1 FPX (G2 13-11 Bind, FPX 14-12 Icebox, G2 13-6 Haven)
July 10
- 8am CT: Lower bracket final (Bo5)
- G2 Esports 3-2 Guild Esports (Guild 13-8 Bind, G2 13-6 Split, Guild 14-12 Haven, G2 15-13 Icebox, G2 13-6 Ascent)
July 11
- 8am CT: Grand final (Bo5)
- Acend 3-1 G2 Esports (Acend Icebox 13-5, Acend 13-2 Bind, G2 13-6 Ascent, Acend 13-10 Haven)
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