It looks like the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is heading to Thailand once again. In an announcement on their social media, VCT Pacific has announced that both VCT Ascension and Game Changers Pacific 2025 will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand. What does this mean for VALORANT Esports and fans of VCT Pacific? Let us find out.
Riot Games Announces VCT Ascension & Game Changers Pacific 2025 Venue
Image Credits: Riot Games
In 2024, VALORANT announced its roadmap for 2025. During the announcement, it was revealed that the first VCT Masters event in 2025 will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. Following the success of the event, VCT Ascension & Game Changers Pacific is also slated to take place in Bangkok.
Currently, neither the venue nor the dates for the events have been confirmed. However, according to the roadmap by Riot Games, all VCT Ascension tournaments are scheduled to take place in October.
For fans in Asia, this is quite good news, given the convenience of traveling to Thailand. While most countries are getting expensive to visit, Thailand remains a country that is still affordable. In 2024, VCT Ascension took place in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The key point to note this time is that the format for the VCT Ascension will differ from previous years. Last year, both the grand finalists, Sin Para Gaming (now Nongshim RedForce) and Boom Esports, qualified for the VCT Pacific.
This was after Riot Games removed Bleed Esports due to financial malpractice. This year, the goal for teams that qualified from VCT Pacific is to make it to VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris. If they qualify, then they extend their stay in VCT Pacific for another year.
If the teams finish in the top 8, then they will need to play in VCT Pacific Ascension to defend their spot within the VCT Pacific League. Else if neither team qualifies for the top 8 of VCT Pacific (i.e., the playoffs in VCT Pacific Stage 2), they will be relegated to their respective regional VALORANT Challenger League.
Thus, providing a possibility for two new teams to qualify for VCT Ascension Pacific 2025, while both Nongshim RedForce and Boom Esports are demoted from VCT Pacific.