Final weekend’s VCT Americas matches sparked heated discussions throughout the international VALORANT esports group. With LOUD’s profitable darkish horse run within the Stage 2 Decrease Playoffs Bracket all the way in which to a second-place end, Masters London winner Leviatán was pushed out of VALORANT Champions qualification.
The Argentinian esports group has now develop into the primary group to win a Masters occasion and nonetheless miss out on Champions in the identical yr. This has led some VCT followers and professionals to advocate for revised qualification guidelines, particularly across the distribution of VCT factors.
Others, nonetheless, have argued that Leviatán alone is guilty for his or her disappointing finish to the season. So, the place lies the reality? Is VCT’s qualification path to Champions flawed?
How did Leviatán miss out on Champions 2026?
With the Masters London trophy below its belt, Leviatán was thought of a assured Champions participant by many heading into VCT Americas Stage 2.
Because of its second place in Stage 1 (7 factors) and its Masters title (8 factors), the group had already collected 15 VCT Factors in complete. That was greater than NRG (11 factors) and G2 Esports (14 factors) had on the time, though each organizations had a a lot stronger begin to the VCT 2026 season in comparison with Leviatán.
For Leviatán to overlook out on Champions Shanghai in September, darkish horses with few factors needed to attain the top-2 whereas different traditionally sturdy rosters went on deep Stage 2 runs.
And that is precisely what occurred.
NRG and G2 Esports made it far into the Stage 2 Playoffs, incomes a further 10 and seven factors, respectively, for 21 factors in complete. Underdog 100 Thieves dominated within the Higher Playoffs Bracket and secured a top-2 end early on.
In the meantime, Leviatán misplaced its third Playoffs collection to G2 Esports, leaving the group with solely 4 additional factors from its Stage 2 efficiency (19 in complete) and unable to qualify for Champions by way of a top-2 placement.
The ultimate piece of Leviatán’s nightmare puzzle was the younger and hungry roster of LOUD. In entrance of its dwelling crowd in São Paulo, the Brazilian squad defeated giants G2 Esports and NRG to ensure at the least second place in Stage 2.
With that, 100 Thieves and LOUD have been in. NRG and G2 Esports took the area’s third and fourth seeds for Shanghai, and Leviatán was left behind with simply 2 VCT Factors much less.
Leviatán or the factors system: Who’s at fault?
What feels so off about Leviatán failing to qualify for Champions 2026 is that that is truly a prime group with the potential to go on a run in Shanghai. On the similar time, Leviatán’s area, VCT Americas, turned out extremely aggressive in the direction of the latter third of the season. Leviatán is a prime roster globally — in Americas, it is only one of many prime groups.
“The one factor that you simply take away from that is simply that Americas is completely stacked, to be trustworthy. For this to occur, this area is actually, actually good. Like, they must be the perfect area for this to occur,” emphasised former Staff Liquid coach Connor “Sliggy” Blomfield on the VALORANT speak present Plat Chat.
That is considerably unfortunate for Leviatán. If the group had competed in a unique area, maybe it could have had higher probabilities in Stage 2. The identical sentiment applies to the roster’s season kickoff. Attributable to age restrictions, Leviatán needed to begin VCT Americas Kickoff with out one in all its star rookies and Masters London MVP Bruno “Neon” Rodríguez. In consequence, the squad was eradicated early with out incomes a single VCT Level.
The opposite aspect of this story is that Leviatán banned its finest maps, Haven and Break up, and diverted from its trusted Neon-Phoenix duelist combo at the beginning of the Stage 2 Playoffs. Groups which have already locked in qualification do that to apply completely different group compositions and maps in low-stakes official matches.
However Leviatán was not certified but and paid the worth.
“They have been prepping for Champs, however not in Champs. They’re guilty,” concluded Sliggy on Plat Chat. “You need to blame your self. […] Since you’re not absolutely in but. You possibly can’t be considering like that. Like, these items occurs. You at all times need it to be in your management. To ban Break up, a map you’re like 11-0 at, finest on the planet by far in opposition to 100 Thieves, is insanity.”
To some extent, I agree with these arguing that Leviatán’s story is an outlier case and subsequently not indicative of a broader VCT format downside. Then again, the VCT panorama has modified considerably lately.
As an example, meta shifts and map pool adjustments have develop into way more frequent within the 2025 and 2026 VCT seasons in comparison with the inaugural years of VALORANT esports.
This makes the annual aggressive calendar really feel extra crowded, particularly for groups that attend international occasions. They spend extra time competing on stage, shrinking an already small window to make strategic changes in response to recreation updates.
In consequence, historic achievements equivalent to Fnatic’s back-to-back worldwide trophies in 2023 are considered via a unique lens these days.
“LEV profitable Masters 2 months in the past and nonetheless lacking Champs actually highlights a flaw on this circuit format,” wrote VALORANT coach Hoc Wah “Fayde” Chong on social media. “With how frequent the meta adjustments in Val, this punishes the group that performs effectively early within the season as a result of hectic schedules & lack of preparation for a brand new break up.”
It has undoubtedly develop into more difficult for VCT groups to remain constant all through one season. This pattern will seemingly solely intensify in subsequent yr’s flat and open VCT construction. And but, the VCT Factors system nonetheless rewards late-season highs and consistency probably the most.
“What this comes right down to in the end is that riot views profitable a regional stage to be higher than a world,” deduced one X (previously Twitter) person.
As identified by Dragon Ranger Gaming’s Splash, it’s potential for groups to stack extra factors via regional successes than via worldwide wins within the present system. For instance, G2 Esports earned 9 factors in Stage 1 — 6 for profitable the occasion, plus 1 further level for each Group Stage match received.
In the meantime, Leviatán acquired solely 8 factors for its Masters London trophy, with no further rewards for its flawless Swiss Stage efficiency.
I personally consider that is considerably unjust, as profitable a worldwide VCT trophy is a considerably larger problem than dominating regionally.
How may VCT qualification guidelines be adjusted?
In the end, I feel two issues might be true on the similar time. Sure, given the present qualification system, Leviatán shouldn’t have banned their two finest maps throughout essential Playoffs matches. It was the group’s resolution, and the group is guilty for the implications.
That doesn’t make the system itself flawless, nonetheless. For perspective, if we used the qualification ruleset for the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, then Leviatán, because the Masters London champion, would have certified for Champions Shanghai by advancing to the Stage 2 Playoffs.
“Wtf is this technique? Certainly we give a group who wins worldwide assured slot subsequent yr,” asserted Martin “Magnum” Peňkov, skilled participant for Enterprise Esports.
For my part, borrowing from League of Legends’ guidelines could be an excellent center floor as an alternative of giving out Champions slots to all Masters-winning groups. This might imply that Champions qualification is tied to 2 circumstances: profitable a worldwide VCT trophy and performing effectively within the regional stage thereafter.
Others within the VALORANT esports scene, together with DRG Splash, have urged rising the variety of VCT Factors awarded for profitable a Masters title to at the least 10. This might put extra emphasis on international performances than on regional runs.
Both method, changes to the qualification system are warranted, in my view. Meta adjustments are extra frequent than ever, and subsequent yr’s aggressive construction will solely additional improve volatility throughout the ecosystem. VCT 2027, huge help funds will likely be on the road for non-partnered groups ought to they qualify for main occasions, equivalent to Champions.
The format and qualification pathways have to do these developments justice.
