2023 Game Changers EMEA format changes

Riot Games has unveiled changes to the 2023 Valorant Game Changers‘ Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) circuit. According to the game publisher, the 2023 changes will pave the way for local talent to become professional Valorant gamers.

The EMEA circuit will now be divided into four tiers, with the first level comprising the VCT Game Changers EMEA Academy and the newly developed VCT Game Changers EMEA: Emergents.

The new structure, according to Riot, is designed to continue to expand the Game Changers EMEA community while also moving the format “to the next level.” The structure also provides an “ideal pathway to pro play for those in the Game Changers community.” according to the publisher.

The idea behind Emergents is to build a competitive hub via a Discord channel, with a leaderboard, rewards, and in-house matchmaking. According to a press release, the Academy will focus on educational content, giving the Game Changers community “a chance to learn more about careers within the Valorant ecosystem.”

VCT Game Changers EMEA: Contenders is the second tier. This will include a variety of contests from different parts of the world, each with an open qualifier stage to allow anybody to compete in the Contenders series. The best teams from the Contenders series will advance to the VCT Game Changers EMEA league.

Riot has stated that the best four performers in the region for 2022 will be automatically featured in the league. The Game Changers World Championship, which G2 Gozen won earlier this month, is above the VCT Game Changers EMEA.

Riot Games’ Game Changers initiative aims to strengthen the esports ecosystem for women. The announcement came just days after G2 Gozen, an EMEA team, won the inaugural VCT Game Changers World Championship, which saw over 230,000 people watch the finals.