The Valorant eSports Kickoff Tournaments are here, bringing together the best teams from around the world to compete for the first major title of the season and a place at the Masters in Bangkok. Excitement and intense matches are guaranteed.
As with every year, Riot Games kicks off the esports season with the start of the international leagues.
Starting January 15, teams from the EMEA, Americas, Pacific, and China regions will compete for a spot in the next Masters event in Bangkok.
There’s a lot on the line: the top four teams will not only earn a significant number of Championship Points, but the top two will also secure qualification for the next major Masters event, which offers the highest Championship Points.
To help you stay on top of everything, we’ve compiled all the key dates and information about the Kickoff event.
VCT Kickoff EMEA
From January 15 to February 9, the top international teams will compete in regional tournaments.
TAKE WHAT'S YOURS.The #VCTEMEA Kickoff starts on January 15! pic.twitter.com/7YYXPeHhtq
— VALORANT Esports EMEA (@valesports_emea) January 13, 2025
They will be battling for the highest number of Championship Points to secure a spot in the final Champions event in Paris. All 12 EMEA teams will face off in double-elimination brackets. The matches will be played in Best-of-3 and Best-of-5 formats.
Here are the matchups planned for the first rounds:
Round 1: (January 15-16)
- Team Liquid (Netherlands) vs. KOI (Spain)
- Karmine Corp (France) vs. Natus Vincere (Ukraine)
- BBL Sports (Turkey) vs. GIANTX (Spain/UK)
- Apeks (Norway) vs. Gentles Mates (France)
Round 2:
In Round 2, the last 4 of the 12 EMEA teams are already seeded. Thanks to their participation in the 2024 Champions event, they skip the first round and go straight into the second.
The winners from Round 1 will face:
- FUT Esports (Turkey) / January 22
- Team Vitality (France) / January 17
- Fnatic (UK) / January 17
- Team Heretics (Spain) / January 22
Winners from the Ascension format of 2023 and 2024 are also eligible to participate. The Ascension tournament allows teams from regional Challenger leagues to climb into the international Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), securing one of the twelve regional slots in the international leagues.
In the EMEA region, Gentle Mates (2023) and Apeks (2024) successfully used this opportunity to ascend into the international league and will be competing in VCT 2025.
All remaining matches will be determined as the tournament progresses. The games will be held at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin. You can secure yourtickets here. All matches will also be broadcast live on Twitch, with full commentary and analysis.
VCT Kickoff America
Starting January 16, the American edition of the Kickoff tournament will begin, featuring some of the biggest names in the Valorant eSports scene showcasing their skills.
THE SHOWSTOPPERS.#VCTAmericas Kickoff | Jan 16 - Feb 8 pic.twitter.com/eUreDRRV5g
— VALORANT Esports NA (@valesportsna) January 13, 2025
Top competitors from the region will face off against their toughest rivals, battling for valuable Championship Points and qualification for the Masters. The same rewards are at stake across all Kickoff regions.
Here are the matchups for the first round:
Round 1 (January 16-18)
- Evil Geniuses (US/Canada) vs. LOUD (Brazil)
- MIBR (Brazil) vs. 100 Thieves (US)
- NRG (US) vs. Cloud9 (US)
- 2GAME Esports (Brazil) vs. FURIA Esports (Brazil)
Round 2
In Round 2, the final 4 of the 12 American teams are already seeded. Thanks to their participation in the 2024 Champions event, they skip the first round and enter directly into the second.
The winners from Round 1 will face:
- KRÜ Esports (Argentina) / January 18
- Sentinels (US) / January 19
- G2 Esports (US/Germany) / January 20
- Leviatán (Argentina) / January 19
The Ascension teams are G2 Esports and 2GAME Esports.
All remaining matches will be determined as the tournament unfolds. The games will be held at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles. You can secure your tickets here. All matches will also be broadcast live on Twitch, with full commentary and analysis.
Not familiar with the VCT tournament format? No problem! I've summarised everything for you in this article. Just take a look to understand the difference between Kickoff, Masters and Champions.
VCT Kickoff Pacific
A few days later, from January 18 to February 9, the professional teams from the Asian region will also kick off their competition. The rules and rewards remain the same, but we can also expect some exciting Ascension newcomers.
The #VCTPacific Stage 2 Grand Finals Weekend will be held in Tokyo, Japan! pic.twitter.com/5jjFuaxqdr
— VCT Pacific (@vctpacific) January 14, 2025
Here are the matchups for the first round:
Round 1 (January 18-19)
- BOOM Esports (Indonesia) vs. T1 (Korea/US)
- Global Esports (India) vs. Team Secret (Phillippines/Europe)
- DetonatioN FM (Japan) vs. Rex Regum Qeon (Indonesia)
- ZETA DIVISION (Japan) vs. Nongshim RedForce (Korea)
Round 2
In Round 2, the final 4 of the 12 Pacific teams are already seeded. Thanks to their participation in the 2024 Champions event, they skip the first round and enter directly into the second.
The winners from Round 1 will face:
- Paper Rex (Singapore/Indonesia) / January 20
- TALON (Hong Kong/Thailand) / January 25
- Gen.G Esports (Korea/US) / January 25
- DRX (Korea) / January 20
The Ascension teams are Nongshim RedForce (2023) and BOOM Esports (2024).
All remaining matches will be determined as the tournament progresses. The games will be held at the Sangam Coliseum in Seoul, and all matches will also be streamed live on Twitch, complete with commentary and analysis.
VCT Kickoff China
The VCT Kickoff games in China began on January 11 and will run through January 25. Last year’s Valorant Champions Tour winner, EDward Gaming, is back in action.
The VCT 2025 Season officially begins next week China - January 11 EMEA - January 15 Americas - January 16 Pacific - January 18 pic.twitter.com/EjV3Hgh8qe
— Valorant News (@ValorINTEL) January 9, 2025
After the historic success of a Chinese team last year, the competition is more motivated than ever.
Here are the matchups from the first round:Round 1 (January 11-12)
- XLG Esports vs. Wolves Esports = 2:0
- TYLOO vs. Titan Esports Club = 0:2
- JD Gaming vs. Dragon Ranger = 1:2
- All Gamers vs. Nova Esports = 0:2
Round 2
With the first round complete, the matchups for the second round, taking place on January 16 and 17, are set:
- XLG Esports vs. Bilibili Gaming / January 16
- Titan Esports Club vs. FunPlus Phoenix / January 16
- Dragon Ranger vs. Trace Esports / January 17
- Nova Esports vs. EDward Gaming / January 17
The Ascension teams are Dragon Ranger Gaming (2023) and XLG Esports (2024).
All other matches will depend on the tournament's progression. In the lower bracket, teams that lost in Round 1 still have a chance to stay in the competition and fight their way to the finals. The games are being held at the VCT CN Arena in Shanghai.
Are you looking forward to the upcoming games? What do you think of the kickoff system? Let us know in the comments!