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Valorant Premier changes coming with Episode 9
Episode 9 Act 1 in Valorant is set to begin on June 25 and the devs have sought some changes aiming to provide more teams to make their way into the competitive circuit by qualifying to the Valorant Challengers League from their respective region.
The changes are quite straightforward and, as per Riot Games, these are aimed to make it much easier for players to compete in higher leagues. These changes were made after consulting with various Game Changers participants.
Teams playing in Game Changers will now also be able to make it into Challengers consistently. Furthermore, they can also make it into the new Invite division if they meet ‘certain ranked criteria’, however, it is limited to teams that can’t compete in Game Changers and Premier simultaneously.
Also Read: Updated list: All VCT and Valorant Champions winners to date
The introduction of the Invite division in Premier will also allow teams from Contender to make it into Invite from every region. There is one thing to keep in mind, players need to be eligible for Contender to qualify for Invite. The top teams in each division will qualify for Playoffs.
Premier schedule for Episode 9 Act 1
June 27 to June 30 - Lotus
July 3 to July 7 - Bind
July 10 to July 14 - Haven
July 17 to July 21 - Icebox
July 24 to July 28 - Sunset
July 31 to August 4 - Abyss
August 7 to August 10 - Ascent
August 11 - Playoff
Alongside that, there is one more good news for players. The upcoming VCT Game Changers Championship in will feature 10 slots instead of 8, all part of Riot’s aim to provide more opportunities to players.
Time to get your squad together.
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) June 19, 2024
Here’s what you’ll be playing in Premier Stage EP9A1. pic.twitter.com/IegbHYQE8n
Riot to test out Mix-Gender tournaments
The 2024 OFF//SEASON will be huge as Riot Games is aiming to introduce a mix-gender tournament to diversify the game. While not much is said about this, it does sound like a huge move and will leave people guessing about rosters from their favourite esports organizations.