The VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers playoffs is finally here. After five weeks of group stage action that saw several favorites drop out of contention, the remaining eight teams are set to battle for one of two spots at Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen.
Reigning Masters Reykjavik champions OpTic Gaming took the top spot in Group B with a 4-1 record, advancing directly to the upper bracket semifinals of the playoffs.
Right behind them are FaZe Clan, Evil Geniuses, and Luminosity Gaming, three teams that finished with the same 3-2 record. Since the three teams were tied, their playoffs seeding was determined by each team’s map win percentage throughout the group stage, according to the VCT rulebook.
Since Luminosity Gaming had the lowest map win percentage at 5-5, while FaZe Clan had 6-4 and Evil Geniuses finished at 6-5, LG will start their playoffs run in the lower bracket while FaZe and EG move on to the upper bracket quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, in Group A, XSET and Ghost Gaming were tied with a 4-1 record. But since XSET had the head-to-head advantage, they secured the second upper bracket semifinals spot in the playoffs. Ghost Gaming and 100 Thieves will continue their tournament run in the upper bracket quarterfinals of the playoffs.
NRG round out the playoffs, clinching the final slot after they knocked out The Guard in the last week of the group stage.
What is the VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers playoffs?
The playoffs are the final leg of VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers. The top two teams will travel to Denmark to compete in Riot Games’ second international VCT LAN event in July.
The teams that qualify for Masters Copenhagen will compete for VCT circuit points that will put them one step closer to qualifying for Valorant Champions at the end of the year.
VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers playoffs schedule and results
The playoffs will run for two weeks from June 17 to 27.
Top seeds OpTic Gaming and XSET have received a direct bye to the upper bracket semifinals, while the second and third seeds from each group will start in the upper quarterfinals.
NRG and Luminosity Gaming, who finished last in their respective groups, will begin their run in the lower bracket instead.
On match days, games are scheduled to begin at 4:00 a.m. GMT+8.
June 17
Upper bracket quarterfinals
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
FaZe Clan | 1 — 2 | 100 Thieves |
Ghost Gaming | 0 — 2 | Evil Geniuses |
June 18
Lower bracket round 1
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
Ghost Gaming | 0 — 2 | NRG |
FaZe Clan | 2 — 1 | Luminosity Gaming |
June 19
Upper bracket semifinals
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
XSET | 2 — 0 | 100 Thieves |
OpTic Gaming | 2 — 0 | Evil Geniuses |
June 20
Lower bracket quarterfinals
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
Evil Geniuses | 1 — 2 | NRG |
100 Thieves | 1 — 2 | FaZe Clan |
June 25
Upper bracket final
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
XSET | 1 — 3 | OpTic Gaming |
Lower bracket semifinal
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
NRG | 1 — 2 | FaZe Clan |
June 26
Lower bracket final
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
XSET | 3 — 1 | FaZe Clan |
June 27
Grand final
TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
OpTic Gaming | 1 — 3 | XSET |
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Teams that are competing in the tournament
TEAMS |
XSET |
OpTic Gaming |
FaZe Clan |
Ghost Gaming |
100 Thieves |
Evil Geniuses |
NRG |
Luminosity Gaming |
VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers prize and point pool
STANDING | TEAM | VCT POINTS | PRIZE MONEY |
1st | XSET | Qualifies for Masters Copenhagen | US$50,000 |
2nd | OpTic Gaming | Qualifies for Masters Copenhagen | US$32,000 |
3rd | FaZe Clan | 65 | US$26,000 |
4th | NRG | 55 | US$20,000 |
5th | Evil Geniuses | 45 | US$14,000 |
6th | 100 Thieves | 45 | US$14,000 |
7th | Ghost Gaming | 35 | US$10,000 |
8th | Luminosity Gaming | 35 | US$10,000 |
Format of the tournament
All teams will compete in double-elimination best-of-three matches, except during the upper bracket final, lower bracket final, and the grand final, which are best-of-five games.
Where to watch VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers matches live?
Valorant fans can watch the matches live on Riot Games’ official Twitch and YouTube channels:
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