Weeks away from VCT Masters Reykjavík, Riot is already looking ahead to the next stage of the VALORANT Champions Tour. The VALORANT Esports team announced on May 5th that VCT Masters 3 will be hosted in Berlin, Germany. The event will run from September 9th-19th. The winner of that tournament will automatically earn a spot at Champions at the end of the year.
The VCT Masters Berlin trophy. Image via Riot Games.
The third Masters event will reportedly see an increase in the amount of participating teams from 10 to 16. There has been no announcement yet regarding the format for either Masters 2 or 3 yet. In the press day presentation, the VALORANT team said they are “hoping” for a live audience to attend. They are exploring the concept fully ahead of Berlin.
Berlin is a familiar stomping ground for Riot Games’ esports endeavors. It’s been the home for European League of Legends competitions for years. It was also the home during the European LCS days before the LEC rebrand. Berlin has also hosted a handful of international LoL events, including the 2015 and 2019 World Championships and MSI 2018. For fans of tactical shooter esports, Berlin was the host of the most recent CS:GO major: StarLadder Berlin in fall 2019, which saw Astralis claim their third straight title.
VALORANT’s first-ever international LAN in Reykjavík will heavily influence the format and experience of Masters 3 in Berlin. Teams are leaving relatively soon for Iceland, having to quarantine before competing. That tournament officially begins on May 24th. The results of the Challengers Finals in Brazil and Latin America will determine the full field of the event. With a huge amount of VCT points to potentially earn, a high finish in Reykjavík could all but secure a Champions spot for some of the teams attendings.
