Top North American Teams Invited to VALORANT Challengers Circuit
Multiple sources have confirmed that several top teams from North America have received direct invitations to compete in the VALORANT Challengers circuit, hosted by Knights Arena. Fan favorites like TSM and FaZe will be participating in Challengers without having to go through the open qualifiers, which are scheduled to begin on January 9. Other invited teams include Shopify Rebellion, The Guard, G2 Esports, and newcomers M80.
The remaining six spots in the league will be filled through the qualifiers. Four teams will qualify from the open qualifiers, which will run from January 9 to January 13, while the final two teams will earn their spot through the last chance qualifier from January 17 to January 22. The first split of the league is set to kick off on February 1 and conclude on March 17.
It’s important to note that, apart from M80, all the other teams in Challengers were not able to secure a partnership with Riot Games, the developers and organizers of the North American international league that will begin in February with a kick-off tournament.
Unfortunately, not all teams received direct invites to the Challengers league. Dark Ratio, which had ties with MAD Lions, and Streamer Disguised Toast’s Challengers team will have to compete in the open qualifier.
Challengers Playoffs and Opportunities for Ascension
At the end of the season, two teams will qualify for the Ascension tournament through the Challengers playoffs, scheduled to take place from May 31 to June 10. The two qualifying teams will then have the opportunity to face off against the top teams from neighboring Challengers regions for a chance to secure a spot in the Americas international league in 2024.