VCT 2024 news unveiled: Masters Madrid, Champions points, Challengers, more

With VALORANT Champions reaching its final stages, Riot Games has unveiled plans for VCT 2024. Not only did we learn about the location of Masters 1 but the official inclusion of China as an official league. We will also see a whole new schedule for Challengers, the inclusion of Premier into the "Path to Pro," and many more changes being ushered in compared to the structure of VCT 2023.

"We’re extremely proud of what we accomplished this year, in particular how our teams stepped up to promote the sport and their players, and we’re eager to unlock more opportunities in 2024 to highlight the best in the game. We’re making changes to the season design and scope of our events for better progression, expanding our global footprint, and creating new ways for players and fans to experience VALORANT." - Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports.

VCT 2024

Masters Madrid

Riot Games has unveiled that Madrid will be the first location of Masters in 2024. This will see Spain hosting its first ever official VCT international event thus far. Still, Madrid has hosted VALORANT events in the past, including Red Bull Campus Clutch Finals in 2021.

Season Kickoff

With VCT LOCK//IN being the kickoff event of the 2023 season, 2024 will see a different start to the season. Each International League will hold a two-week tournament, determining 8 teams that will go to Masters Madrid.

The event will take place in March according to the image down below.

Championship points

A big change to how teams in the International Leagues gather points. Instead of the regular season outcomes like in 2023, teams will accumulate Champions points throughout the whole year. Currently, there is not enough information about how this will exactly work, but we can assume these will determine who qualifies for VALORANT Champions 2024.

China made an official League

To nobody's surprise, China will be the fourth official VCT International League in 2024. This comes after a successful launch of the game this year, as well as more and more teams participating in global events, including the current Champions in Los Angeles.

Challengers

With VALORANT Challengers (VCLs) being rather troublesome in terms of viewership across the board, especially in EMEA, Challengers in 2024 will have a different format. Most noticeably, the competition will be spread equally throughout the whole season instead of the events ending in June-July for most teams.

According to the VCT Calendar above, VALORANT Challengers will kick off in February and run until the end of the year, with Ascension taking place September. The season will feature two splits, one ending in April and one in early August or end of July. This should make for a more compelling season that is more balanced throughout the year.

Game Changers news?

Despite the news regarding International Leagues and Challengers, nothing has been said about Game Changers, the bustling scene for women and marginalized genders. The VCT calendar does show that the VALORANT Game Changers Championship will take place after Champions, towards the end of the year, same as this season. We will report on any news surfacing regarding Game Changers in 2024.