Riot Games Unveils New VCT EMEA Stage 2 Format with Tier-2 Integration

Riot Games has revealed the schedule and structural changes for the upcoming 2026 VCT EMEA Stage 2 tournament. The league will begin on July 15 and conclude on August 30.

The main innovation is the introduction of a direct pathway for teams from the Challengers (tier-2) division to compete for a spot at VALORANT Champions 2026.

Group Stage Format

The group stage will run until August 2. It will feature 12 partnered VCT EMEA organizations, split into two groups of six teams each.

• The top two teams from each group will directly advance to the playoffs.
• The remaining eight teams will move to the newly introduced Play-Ins stage to fight for their playoff spots.

Play-Ins Stage

The Play-Ins are scheduled for August 6–16. This stage will combine:

• 8 partnered VCT teams
• 4 qualified tier-2 teams from Challengers EMEA Stage 3 and the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ)

All 12 teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket.

Playoffs

After Play-Ins, the eight best teams of the season will advance to the playoffs, held from August 20–23. Teams will compete for two slots at Champions 2026.

As a reminder, the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) has banned s1mple from its tournaments.