VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 2

1. Group Stage (July 15th – August 2nd, 2026)

• Format: Two Single Round-Robin groups, with 6 teams in each group.
• Match Rules: All matches are played in a Best-of-3 (Bo3) format.
• Playoffs & Play-In Advancement:
• 1st Place: Advances directly to the Playoff Upper Bracket Semifinals (earned a bye).
• 2nd Place: Advances directly to Playoff Upper Bracket Round 1.
• 3rd & 4th Place: Advance to Play-In Upper Bracket Round 2.
• 5th & 6th Place: Advance to Play-In Upper Bracket Round 1.

2. Play-Ins (August 5th – 16th, 2026)

• Format: A 12-team, Double-Elimination bracket.
• Team Breakdown: 8 teams from the Group Stage and 4 teams from Regional Challengers.
• Match Rules: All matches are played in a Best-of-3 (Bo3) format.
• Playoff Advancement:
• Top 2 Teams: Advance to Playoff Upper Bracket Round 1.
• 3rd & 4th Place Teams: Advance to Playoff Lower Bracket Round 1.

3. Playoffs (August 20th – 30th, 2026)

• Format: Double-Elimination bracket.
• Match Rules: * Standard matches are played in a Best-of-3 (Bo3) format.
• The Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final are extended to a Best-of-5 (Bo5) series.
• The Stakes: The top 2 teams officially qualify for VALORANT Champions.