© 2026 Riot Games. All Rights Reserved.
© 2026 Riot Games. All Rights Reserved.
TL;DR:
Three VCT EMEA teams will qualify for VALORANT Masters London, an international event taking place on EMEA home turf.
Stage 1 begins April 1, with the Finals on May 17.
Tickets are on sale now at emeatickets.valorantesports.com.
The 2026 VALORANT Esports season is off to a strong start. Kickoff’s new triple elimination format delivered non-stop action and high-pressure moments through to the final matches. While the three EMEA representatives impressed in Santiago, the rest of the VCT EMEA field now turns its focus to Stage 1.
Stage 1 marks the next major test for EMEA teams as the race for international qualification continues.
With three spots at VALORANT Masters London up for grabs, the stakes are high as teams compete to represent the region on home soil. Regular Season results will also determine the number of “lives” each qualified team receives in Playoffs, adding further weight to every match from day one.
Here’s everything you need to know about Stage 1!
VCT EMEA Stage 1 will feature 12 teams, divided into two groups of six: Alpha and Omega.
Each team will face the other teams in its group in a single round robin, featuring best-of-three matches across five weeks. Every team will compete in five matches.
The stakes are immediate. The bottom two teams in each group will be eliminated at the end of the Regular Season and will not advance to Playoffs, ending their path to VALORANT Masters London.
The top four teams from each group - eight teams in total - will qualify for Playoffs. Regular Season performance will determine seeding in the modified double-elimination bracket, directly impacting each team’s starting position.
The top seeds from each group will earn a bye straight into Round 2 of the Upper Bracket. Meanwhile, the second and third-place teams will face off in the Opening Round. The fourth seeds, while thankful to have qualified, will have no room for error as they start in the Lower Bracket with no second chances. We’ll see whether these teams can fight back from the brink of elimination, or if this will mark the end of their journey.
All Playoff matches will be played as Best-of-Three series, with the exception of the Lower Bracket Final and the Stage Final, which feature Best-of-Five series.
Following a gruelling gauntlet of fierce matches, the top three teams from Stage 1 will qualify for Masters London, which will feature the same format as the recently concluded Masters Santiago.
VCT EMEA Stage 1 will award Championship Points, which contribute toward qualification for VALORANT Champions Shanghai at the end of the season.
The Championship Points distribution for Stage 1 is as follows:
1 point per match win (excluding tiebreakers)
1st place: 6 points
2nd place: 4 points
3rd place: 3 points
4th place: 2 points
The current VCT EMEA Championship Points standings are as follows:
BBL
Gentle Mates
Team Liquid
Fnatic
The Group Stage will run for five weeks, from April 1 to May 1, with matches played Wednesday through Friday each week.
Following a one-week break, Playoffs will take place from May 7–17. The first week of Playoffs will feature four show days, running Thursday through Sunday. Finals Weekend will then run from Friday to Sunday, culminating in the crowning of the VCT EMEA Stage 1 champion.
All show days will begin at 17:00 CEST, except for the final two days, which will start at 18:00 CEST due to the schedule featuring one best-of-five match per day.
Masters London qualification will be decided on May 3, May 4, and May 10.
Here are the matchups for the first week of Stage 1:
VCT EMEA Stage 1 tickets are on sale at emeatickets.valorantesports.com! Tickets will cost €15 apiece for the majority of the season, with tickets for the finals ranging between €20-30.
We can’t wait to see which matchups will keep us on the edge of our seats, which players will surprise us with standout performances, and which teams will deliver a level of play worthy of the international stage. See you all soon!
