Eight European VALORANT teams have advanced through the open and closed qualifiers into the main event of EU VCT Stage Three Challengers One. These teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket for €35,000 and four slots in the EMEA Challengers Playoffs in August.
All eight teams advanced through the closed qualifier. Six teams received direct invites to the closed qualifier based on their performances in EU VCT Stage Two: Fnatic, Team Liquid, Acend, Guild Esports, Team BDS, and FunPlus Phoenix. Both G2 Esports and Rix.GG Thunder played through open qualifiers to earn their spot, with teams like Alliance, Team Heretics, Excel, and others falling short.
Stage Three represents the latest step in format expansion for the European region. In Stage One, the Challengers main events were just a lone, single-elimination round. In Stage Two, it was expanded into a full single-elimination bracket. And now, Stage Three will feature a double-elimination bracket. The entire EMEA region is getting a format expansion, with a 12-team double-elimination bracket for the Challengers Playoffs and four spots at Masters Three Berlin compared to just two in Reykjavík.
This will be the last event where the new agent KAY/O will be disabled. Starting in Challengers Two, he’ll be available in agent selection. All matches will be best-of-three. The four teams that don’t qualify for the EMEA Challengers Playoffs will directly qualify for Challengers Two.
Here are the teams, bracket, schedule, and scores for the EU VCT Stage Three Challengers One main event.
Participating teams
- Fnatic
- Team Liquid
- G2 Esports
- Acend
- Guild Esports
- Rix.GG Thunder
- Team BDS
- FunPlus Phoenix
Bracket and schedule
Liquid and Fnatic will meet yet again in the opening round. Liquid won their first battle in the EMEA Challengers Finals grand finals, but Fnatic got their revenge in the lower bracket of Masters Two Reykjavík. The two national rosters will take each other on with Sweden facing France when Guild play Team BDS. Two of the top teams from 2020 will face off when FPX and G2 meet. The surprise team of EU Masters One, Acend, will play against the surprise of this qualifier, Rix.GG Thunder.
July 7
- 7am CT: Upper bracket quarterfinals
- Team Liquid 2-1 Fnatic (FNC 13-11 Breeze, TL 13-9 Bind, FNC 13-11 Haven)
- Guild Esports 2-1 Team BDS (BDS 13-9 Icebox, GLD 13-11 Haven, GLD 13-7 Ascent)
- 10am CT: Upper bracket quarterfinals
- FunPlus Phoenix 2-0 G2 Esports (13-4 Icebox, 13-4 Ascent)
- Acend 2-0 Rix.GG Thunder (13-6 Bind, 13-4 Ascent)
- 1pm CT: Lower bracket round one
- Liquid 2-0 BDS (14-12 Split, 14-12 Haven)
- G2 2-0 Rix.GG (13-9 Bind, 13-7 Breeze)
July 8
- 10am CT: Upper bracket semifinals
- Guild Esports 2-1 Fnatic (Fnatic 13-11 Ascent, Guild 13-6 Icebox, Guild 13-9 Haven)
- Acend 2-1 FPX (Acend 13-3 Bind, FPX 13-7 Icebox, Acend 13-7 Haven)
- 1pm CT: Lower bracket round two
- FPX 2-0 Team Liquid (13-9 Haven, 13-9 Ascent)
- G2 Esports 2-0 Fnatic (13-9 Icebox, 17-15 Haven)
July 9
- 10am CT: Upper bracket final
- Acend 2-0 Guild Esports (13-6 Breeze, 13-8 Haven)
- 1pm CT: Lower bracket round three
- G2 Esports 2-1 FPX (G2 13-11 Bind, FPX 14-12 Icebox, G2 13-6 Haven)
July 10
- 8am CT: Lower bracket final (Bo5)
- G2 Esports 3-2 Guild Esports (Guild 13-8 Bind, G2 13-6 Split, Guild 14-12 Haven, G2 15-13 Icebox, G2 13-6 Ascent)
July 11
- 8am CT: Grand final (Bo5)
- Acend 3-1 G2 Esports (Acend Icebox 13-5, Acend 13-2 Bind, G2 13-6 Ascent, Acend 13-10 Haven)
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