VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1

Group Stage

Dates: April 1st – May 1st, 2026

• Structure: Two groups of six teams competing in a Single Round-Robin format.
• Match Format: All series are Best-of-3 (Bo3).
• Advancement: The top four teams from each group qualify for the Playoffs:
• 1st Place: Advances directly to the Upper Bracket Semifinals.
• 2nd & 3rd Place: Advance to the Upper Bracket Round 1.
• 4th Place: Starts in Lower Bracket Round 1.

Playoffs

Dates: May 7th – May 17th, 2026

• Structure: A Double-Elimination bracket.
• Match Format: * Most matches are Best-of-3 (Bo3).
• The Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final are Best-of-5 (Bo5).
• The Stakes: The top 3 teams will secure qualification for Masters London.