The race to Masters London begins: All you need to know about VCT EMEA Stage 1

April 1 marks the kickoff of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 1, as the best teams in EMEA face off for a shot at Masters London. A total of three teams will represent the region on the international stage. Stage 1 serves as the next major test for EMEA squads as the race for global qualification heats up.

Format

VCT EMEA Stage 1 features 12 teams and begins with a group stage. The teams are split into two groups of six: Alpha and Omega. Each team will face every team in its group in a single round-robin format, playing best-of-three matches over five weeks. This means each team will compete in five matches during the group stage.

The bottom two teams from each group will be eliminated, while the top four teams will advance to the playoff bracket, with group stage results determining seeding and starting positions.

All playoff matches will be played as best-of-three series, except for the Lower Bracket Final and the Stage Final, which will be best-of-five. The top three teams from Stage 1 will qualify for Masters London, which will use the same format as the recently concluded Masters Santiago.

Championship points

Teams will also earn Championship Points throughout their Stage 1 run. These points contribute toward qualification for VALORANT Champions Shanghai at the end of the season. Teams earn one point per win, with additional points awarded to the top four playoff finishers.

After VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Kickoff, these are the current VCT EMEA Championship Points standings:

• BBL Esports - 5 points
• Gentle Mates - 3 points
• Team Liquid - 2 points
• Fnatic - 1 point

Dates

The Group Stage will run for five weeks, from April 1 to May 1, with matches played Wednesday through Friday each week. After a one-week break, the Playoffs will take place from May 7–17. The first week of Playoffs will feature four match days, running Thursday through Sunday. A week after that, Finals Weekend will take place from Friday to Sunday, ending with the crowning of the VCT EMEA Stage 1 champion.

Masters London qualification will be decided on May 3, May 4, and May 10.

Tickets

Tickets are already on sale at emeatickets.valorantesports.com. Prices start at €15 for most match days, with Finals tickets ranging from €20–30.

For more VALORANT-related news, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.

Featured image source: Riot Games.