The 2024 VALORANT Esports season is far from over and there’s plenty of action left in store before the year is out. However, we wanted to share information about what fans can expect our Path to Pro to look like in EMEA in 2025. 

Since its inception, VALORANT Challengers EMEA has been truly delivering a Path to Pro. This year alone, we’ve seen more than 20 players - such as Team Heretic’s Wo0t and Karmine Corp’s N4RRATE - emerge through Challengers to compete in VCT EMEA, which is a huge testament to the strength of the ecosystem. In 2024, we also saw the introduction of Premier to competitive play, and a host of Challengers Leagues in EMEA have already welcomed Premier teams to their competitions. While we’re delighted to see such promising talent lighting up the regional stage, we’re always working on improving these integral parts of the VALORANT EMEA Esports ecosystem.

Following the recent Global updates about changes coming to the VALORANT Path to Pro across the world in 2025, we’re ready to reveal all the details about EMEA specifically.

Challengers: Evolving Challengers Across EMEA

Format

Next year, VALORANT Challengers in EMEA is evolving. We’re introducing a new Three-Stage structure, with each Stage split into two distinct parts. 

Each Stage will see teams initially compete in regular league play, with specific formats for each league to be determined at a later date. Then, the top two teams from each Challengers League from that Stage will progress to an all-new tournament - Challengers EMEA - which will see the best teams from across the region compete against each other at the end of each Stage. 

The new structure will maintain the benefits of the current Challengers Leagues, but also offer the best players more opportunities to hone their skills against one another, and offer fans more opportunities to watch the best teams across EMEA compete. That said, due to ping differences, MENA will only compete in the Challengers EMEA tournament during Stage 3, with their teams competing in a Playoff tournament during Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Championship Points & Ascension

VALORANT Challengers will continue to provide the best teams with a chance of competing at VALORANT Ascension, and gaining that all important ticket to VCT EMEA. In 2025 however, we will switch to a points based system to decide which teams will compete in Ascension, with teams gaining points based on their performance throughout the season. Further details about Championship Points and Ascension will be revealed later in the year. 

Italy and Portugal Join Challengers Spain

As part of our changes to Challengers, Italy and Portugal will be joining Challengers Spain: Rising, to create a stronger and more competitive league where the best teams from each country can compete against each other. To ensure players in these countries still have the best Path to Pro, Challengers Spain will not consider any players from Italy or Portugal as imports. Additionally, this change will allow each Challengers League in EMEA to match its respective Premier Zone, resulting in a better connection throughout the whole ecosystem.

Challengers Spain will have eight teams in 2025. Due to Italy and Portugal joining Challengers Spain: Rising, we want to ensure that the top teams from all three current Challengers Leagues have the opportunity to compete in the league. Places in the league will be awarded to: 

• The top four teams in Challengers Spain: Rising (based on total league points in 2024) 

• The top team from Challengers Italy: Rinascimento (Ascension 1st Seed) 

• The top team from Challengers Portugal: Tempest (Ascension 1st Seed) 

• One Wildcard spot 

• The winner of a Qualifying Tournament 

The Wildcard spot will be awarded to a team that meets various criteria, such as the stability of the team, their impact on the ecosystem and more. Meanwhile, the Qualifying Tournament will be open to all remaining teams across the three current leagues to earn the final place in the tournament. Further details about the Qualification Tournament will be shared in the coming weeks.

The Continuation of VRCs

Following its introduction in 2024, Premier will continue to act as the preferred Path to Pro within the EMEA region. That said, we know that VRCs have played a positive role in nurturing competition amongst our players. So, we want to re-confirm that VRCs will continue to enable teams to qualify for promotion/relegation tournaments. In addition, we’ll enable teams to compete in both Premier and VRC throughout the year, giving aspiring pros even more opportunities to compete and hone their skills.

Game Changers: Express Lane Mechanic

Game Changers has had a huge impact on VALORANT Esports, especially in EMEA. G2 Gozen have led the charge, previously participating in the Challengers DACH promotion/relegation tournament, and we’ve seen players such as ‘devilasxa’, ‘didii’, and ‘Thu’ competing in co-ed Challengers teams across multiple leagues in EMEA. 

As mentioned in our recent global announcement, a new ‘Express Lane Mechanic’ will be introduced, allowing Game Changers teams to compete in Challengers League Open Qualifiers without having to miss out on overlapping Game Changers events. We remain committed to providing consistent opportunities for women in VALORANT Esports, supporting the growth of the Game Changers scene and the players competing here, and hope that this change allows us to see more teams fighting for Challengers League spots in the future!

Challengers Stage 3

We know many fans are eager to hear more about tournaments coming to the ecosystem during Stage 3 of 2024, which will begin following the conclusion of Ascension. Below, you can find details of everything we have planned so far. Be sure to keep an eye out for further information, which local Tournament Organisers will be sharing in due course!