Outrage after VCL MENA organizer’s decision to skip North Africa’s 2026 qualifier

The North African VALORANT community is calling foul after VCL MENA tournament organizers confirmed that Playground, the region’s only path to the Challengers league, will not be held for 2026. Multiple members of the community, including caster and streamer Della3 spoke about how instead of an open qualifier, organizers will run a relegation bracket composed of:

• The bottom two teams from last split, and

• Two teams selected from April’s Playground, an event now more than seven months old.

The decision immediately drew criticism from players, coaches, and long-standing community figures who argue that the move undermines competitive integrity and shuts out nearly every active team in North Africa.

VCL MENA: An Outdated Event Deciding an Entire Season

North Africa operates without local servers, meaning Playground has always been the region’s only official qualifying event. When TOs removed it without warning and instead relied on April’s outdated results, teams were blindsided.

Most rosters from that event have since changed, some organizations exited the scene entirely, and new teams never had the chance to compete. Despite this, the TO chose not to re-run an open qualifier or update the standings. The controversy deepened when it became clear that the selections were not based on placement. The top three teams from April were skipped entirely in favor of the 4th-place finisher, with no public reasoning provided.

High Stakes: 2026 VCL Now Directly Feeds Champions

The timing could not be worse. Starting this cycle, VCL teams can qualify directly to Champions via the Ascension pathway. As a result, every split’s circuit points are crucial.

A team denied entry to Split 1 loses:

• An entire stage of circuit points,

• A chance to reach Challengers EMEA 3,

• Access to VCT EMEA Stage 2,

• And ultimately any realistic possibility of qualifying for Champions 2026.

Teams that invested in rosters, facilities, and staff through 2025 now face missing the entire season through no in-server fault of their own.

Context: Not the First MENA Competitive Controversy

This is not the first time Riot MENA or partnered TOs have faced criticism.
Past issues regarding the TO Calyx, widely documented by participants such as coach Tenebra, include:

• Major payment issues for winners of the events

• Bracket changes during events without clear communication,

• Inconsistent enforcement of rules,

• Questionable seeding decisions,

• And multiple reports of logistical errors affecting match outcomes.

Players argue the 2026 qualifier decision fits the same pattern: opaque processes with significant competitive consequences.

There is a massive fraud scheme happening and Saudi eSports Federation and Calyx arent even batting an eye.

I Coached @Underground_gg in the Saudi eLeague 2024 Major 1 and 2 and VCL: Mena GCC Split 1 and 2, our contract promised payment in late January/February and each…

— Tenebra (@Tenebra__) August 15, 2024

North Africa Calls for Transparency and a Fair Qualifier

The region’s response has been unified. Players, staff, and org owners are demanding:

• The reinstatement of an open and current qualifier, or

• A clear explanation of how teams were selected,

• Plus a commitment to a transparent and repeatable system for future seasons.

Without that, teams fear the region’s competitive structure will continue to lag behind the rest of the world, especially at a time when its pathway now leads directly to the global stage. For now, the relegation plan stands, and North Africa’s 2026 season may be decided by results from a tournament that no longer reflects the region’s active competitive landscape.