VALORANT First Strike: Europe is kicking off qualifiers in November

Discover more about the first ever Riot Games-produced VALORANT event in Europe and how you can get involved
Esport

Get ready, agents, because the first ever VALORANT tournament produced by Riot Games kicks off in November. VALORANT First Strike: Europe is set to bring the very best players across Europe together to face off in tense battles of strategic thinking, quick reactions, and exquisite explosive action


Tournament Structure

The event kicks off with open qualifiers online from 9-22 November, so players hoping to get involved in the action should start practicing now. After the qualifiers have concluded, the main stage will be held from 3-6 December. This is when Europe’s top eight teams will face off against each other for the VALORANT First Strike: Europe title in a series of best-of-three games. The quarter-finals take place on 3-4 December, followed by the semi-finals on 5 December.

Finally, the sure-to-be dramatic finals take place on 6 December, but this time they’re best-of-five games. The victorious team will be the VALORANT First Strike: Europe Champions – a title truly befitting of the titans who survive the gauntlet.


Open Qualifiers

The Open Qualifiers are split into four separate tournaments, two per week, with the top sixteen teams from each advancing to the respective week’s Play-In stage. Competing teams aren’t tied to any single Qualifier, which means that if your team gets knocked out of Qualifier A, you can try again in Qualifier B, C, and D. Teams therefore have four chances to secure a place in the Play-Ins and potentially advance to the Playoffs. Take a look at the graphic below for more info on the structure of the qualifiers.

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Eligibility

In most cases, any player over the age of 16 that has reached the rank of Immortal 1 at the time of registration or during the preceding Act will be eligible to compete. The full rules and policies will be released in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for those if you’re thinking of taking part.

Keep a lookout for more information on VALORANT First Strike: Europe in the coming weeks, including how to apply for the qualifiers, full rules for the event, and how you can watch the action. Whether you’re thinking about competing, or you’re simply interested in watching the very best VALORANT players in Europe battling it out, First Strike is for you – and it's only the beginning.