VCT 2026: Americas Kickoff

Playoffs Format

• Triple-Elimination Bracket: Teams have three opportunities to stay in the tournament before being eliminated.

• Match Format:

  • All standard bracket matches are Best-of-3 (Bo3).

  • The Upper Bracket Final, Middle Bracket Final, and Lower Bracket Final are Best-of-5 (Bo5).

• Seeding Advantage: Teams that previously qualified for Champions Paris receive a first-round bye and advance directly into Round 2 of the Upper Bracket.

Skirmish Side Selection Rules

To determine map veto advantages or seeding, a pre-match 1v1 Skirmish is used under the following rules:

• Player Nomination: Before the match begins, each team selects one starting player to represent them in the duel.

• Gameplay Settings:

  • The two nominated players face off in a 1v1 matchup using the in-game Skirmish mode.

  • Abilities are disabled—the duel relies purely on gunplay.

• Winning Condition: The first player to win five rounds wins the Skirmish.

• The Reward: The winning player's team earns the right to choose whether they want to act as the starting team or the second team during the Map Veto process.