Riot Games expands VCT Game Changers to the EMEA region with three 4th Quarter tournaments.
Finally, VCT Game Changers makes it to EMEA
Riding the success of the VCT Game Changers series in North America, Latin America, Brazil, and Southeast Asia, Riot Games has finally announced the expansion of the VCT Game Changers to the EMEA region. The announcement finally gives Europe an official VCT league for women and marginalized genders.
Like the NA format, the EMEA VCT Game Changers will have three tournaments called a “series.” The first of the three tournaments will be from September 27 – October 3, just a little Masters Berlin and before the Last Chance Qualifiers.
A league of their own
VCT Game Changers is Valorant’s professional tournament circuit for women and marginalized genders. It was initially announced in February 2021, and has since completed the first two series for NA, kicked off a professional circuit in SEA, and has had a couple of events in LATAM and Brazil.
VCT Game Changers was created to provide a safe space for women and marginalized genders to compete and develop competitively. Ultimately, the goal is to develop their skills to a level that sees them being competitive in the primary VCT circuit. NA’s Cloud 9 White is the best example of a team that dominates VCT Game Changers and proves to be competitive enough to join the VCT Opens.
EMEA’s VCT Game Changers scene
While EMEA’s VCT Game Changers series comes a little late into the VCT season, the female and marginalized genders Valorant scene in EMEA has been quite active. The most notable third-party events are The Goose House’s Birds of Prey series, Rix.GG and British Esports Association’s Huntress Trials, the Girl’s House EU Opens.
Expect to see eXiLe Female, Rix.GG Lightning, XSET Female, TENSTAR Nova, Oxxgen Esports, and SuperMassive Blaze Female field teams for the upcoming first series of the EMEA VCT Game Changers. You’ll also want to look out for impressive, and currently, org-less groups Project X, GangsterzZ, and Chat Banned mix things up or got signed by a major organization.
Tournament details
The EMEA VCT Game Changers series will field up to 64 teams to compete for the €20,000 prize pool for the first two tournaments. The third series, scheduled for November 15 – November 21, 2021, will feature a prize pool of €50,000.
Series #2, which will be on October 25 – October 31, 2021, is called a unique “all-in” that will welcome co-ed teams as long as three team members are women. The first series kicks off on September 27. You can catch updates on the tournament on the VCT Europe Twitter page and watch the games on Valorant’s official Twitch Channels.
