Riot Games has detailed an expanded competitive pathway for the VALORANT EMEA region in 2026, introducing new tournaments and promotion opportunities. This restructuring aims to strengthen the connection between the tier-two scene and the top-flight VCT EMEA, aiming to provide more avenues for teams to ascend. The announcement, however, was met with German organisation MOUZ departing from VALORANT, citing misalignment with the current ecosystem.

The 2026 season will see the VALORANT EMEA Challengers leagues continue with a three-stage format, beginning with Kickoff tournaments in regional leagues from 5 January. A significant new addition is the VALORANT EMEA Clash in February, where selected VCT EMEA teams that fail to qualify for Masters Santiago will compete against top Challenger sides. Furthermore, the season will offer four slots for Challenger teams to qualify for the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Play-Ins, a critical step towards Champions Shanghai, with three coming from Challengers EMEA Stage 3 and one from a Last Chance Qualifier.

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“For Game Changers EMEA, we’re introducing more opportunities to compete with a mix of regional events and monthly online Cash Cups offering points and prize pools,” Riot Games stated. The new Game Changers EMEA Circuit, including these Cash Cups, will provide a route for teams to qualify for the Game Changers EMEA Stage 3 Play-Ins and potentially the Championship.

One day after Riot’s format reveal, German esports organisation MOUZ Esports announced its exit from VALORANT. “The current VCT format does not align with our ambition as a team, and we do not see a place for us in the current ecosystem,” the organisation stated. MOUZ, which was competing in the VCL 2025 – EMEA and was not part of the partnered VCT EMEA league, thanked its players and staff for their dedication over three years.

The departure of MOUZ follows a broader trend of organisations, particularly those outside the partner team structure, revaluating their involvement in VALORANT. In Brazil, Red Canids left the scene in 2024 before rebuilding its team in 2025, while Legacy, Galorys, and ODDIK left indefinitely. Riot’s 2026 changes, especially the enhanced promotion mechanisms between Challengers and the VCT, appear designed to incentivise and sustain investment in the tier-two scene from which teams like MOUZ were operating.

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