Riot Games has announced some huge news regarding Valorant Premier. From now on, Valorant players will be able to qualify for VCT Challengers through the Premier feature.
This is something that players have been asking for quite some time. At the same time, it's not a huge surprise, as Riot had stated before they wanted Premier to be the main way for players to enter the competitive scene.
With these changes, Premier can finally fulfil its purpose of becoming a mode that gives players a feeling of the competitive scene, while providing them with a gateway to that same scene.
So, let's find out how Valorant Premier will do that.
A gateway to VCT Challengers
Since its creation, Premier was supposed to be a mode that provided competitive Valorant players with a taste of the actual competitive scene. With the changes Riot Games will introduce on Episode 8 that will finally be possible.
Starting in January 2024, players will be able to qualify for VCT Challengers through Premier, if they meet a few requirements. Players will need to have a rank of Immortal 3 or higger, create a team with players that fulfil this same requirement, and qualify for Contender, the highest Premier tier.
After building a team composed of Contender eligible players, players will have between January 8-17 2024 to register their squad for Premier. Then, players will need to sign up for the Challengers Open Qualifier, where they will compete with other teams, and fight for a place in VCT Challengers.
The format, schedule, and other information regarding the Challengers Open Qualifier will be revealed shortly.
It's also worth noting that, Professional players won't be able to participate in Premier, and there is an age requirement of 16 years old to participate in VCT Challengers. Players who aren't 16 years old or above won't be allowed to participate in the Premier promotion tournament.
A step towards the final destination
As mentioned above, Premier was always intended to be the main way for players to transition into the competitive scene. These changes are a step in that direction, but more changes will come in the future to "facilitate promotions into Premier Contenders".
For now, only players ranked Immortal 3 or higger, and that have reached the Contender tier are eligible for Premier Contenders. However, Riot Games intends to make it easier for players to qualify for Premier Contenders in the future.
This includes not having ranked requirements, and allowing players to qualify for Premier Contenders by climbing with their Premier team, no matter their solo rank.
These are massive changes that make Premier the go-to mode for every Valorant player who wants a really competitive experience. Since Valorant's rank mode has been in a downward spiral, with players having zero incentives to play the mode, we expect most players to turn their attention to Premier.