The competitive season in the top VCT league has concluded, and we're now observing the off-season, marked by numerous team changes and smaller local events. Meanwhile, in the women's Game Changers league, there is intense competition, as teams prepare for the year's main event—the world championship, Valorant Game Changers Championship. With just over two weeks until the tournament kicks off, we have gathered all available information about the upcoming championship for you. If you’re a fan of the women’s Valorant scene, this article will be highly useful.
What is the Valorant Game Changers Championship?
As mentioned, the Valorant Game Changers Championship is the main event of the year and also serves as the world championship for the women's Valorant scene. The strongest teams from the Game Changers league participate, drawing just as much attention as Valorant Champions. This event positions Riot Games as one of the top companies hosting women's esports events and maintaining an inclusive Valorant scene at a high level.
How teams qualify for the Game Changers Championship
To start, let’s briefly explain how teams qualify for the championship, as some readers might not be familiar with the intricacies of the women’s Valorant scene. Unlike the VCT, the Game Changers league does not divide regions into four main areas. Instead, it resembles the tier-2 Challengers league structure, with numerous competitive regions, including Brazil, EMEA, North America, LATAM, APAC, Pacific, and the newly established China.
Throughout the season, regular tournaments with three stages are held in these regions. Teams earn regional points and invitations to the next stage. Finally, in the Series 3 tournament, one or two direct invitations to the championship are awarded. In larger regions like EMEA, Pacific, or NA, teams can also qualify for the championship by accumulating enough points throughout the regular season.
What we know about the Valorant Game Changers Championship 2024
Now that you know what the Valorant Game Changers Championship is and how teams qualify, it’s time to compile all known information about the upcoming event.
Venue
The entire event will take place at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin. This iconic location, previously known as the LEC Studio, has hosted various League of Legends tournaments. In 2023, Riot Games revamped the arena, and it now hosts not only LoL events, like the current Play-In stage of Worlds 2024, but also major Valorant tournaments, including the Game Changers Championship.
Event Dates
The upcoming Valorant Game Changers Championship will be held from November 8 to 17, 2024. This year, the event is scheduled two weeks earlier than last year, following Riot Games' recent decision to allow teams more time to prepare for the new competitive season. Between November 8 and 17, there will be numerous main matches and side events. Here’s the schedule:
- November 8-11: Playoffs matches
- November 12: Dark days
- November 13-14: Playoffs matches
- November 15: Upper bracket final and lower bracket semifinal
- November 16: Lower bracket final
- November 17: Grand final
Format
Similar to last year, Riot Games has opted out of the usual group and stage format for the Game Changers Championship. Instead, all matches will be held in the playoffs, likely due to the limited number of teams. The entire tournament will follow a double-elimination format, where teams are sent to the lower bracket after a loss. Most matches will be in a best-of-three format, while the lower bracket final and grand final will be best-of-five.
Participating Teams
This year, 10 teams will participate in the championship, an increase from the 8 teams in 2023. This expansion reflects the growth of the women’s Valorant scene and Riot’s commitment to supporting it. Here’s the list of teams:
Among these, notable mentions include last year's champions, Shopify Rebellion, who retained all players, making them the favorites for a second title. Also, ALG GC, which became the first champion team of the women’s Chinese qualifiers, introduced just this year.
Prize Pool
The prize pool for the current Game Changers Championship is yet to be announced. However, based on previous years, we can estimate it to be around $600,000 - $700,000.
Year | Teams | Prize Pool |
VCT 2022: Game Changers Championship | 8 | $500,000 |
VCT 2023: Game Changers Championship | 8 | $500,000 |
VCT 2024: Game Changers Championship | 10 | unknown |
In 2022 and 2023, the prize pool was $500,000 with 8 participating teams. With Riot Games expanding the number of slots this year, there is reason to believe the prize pool will increase, though no confirmation has been provided yet.
This is all the current information about the upcoming VCT 2024: Game Changers Championship. With only a short time left until the event, stay tuned to our portal for fresh updates on this and other happenings in the Valorant esports scene.
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