MANILA - Riot Games on Monday evening unveiled changes to hit first-person shooting game Valorant's competitive gaming format ahead of next year, which also affects the landscape of its Filipino circuit.

In a press release, developers Riot Games spread out a five-year outlook for its esports scene, introducing the Challengers Ascension Tournament, which cements teams into tenured international leagues later on.

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Interested teams will first undergo the Challenger Leagues of their respective countries or sub-regions. According to Valorant, the Philippines will still have its own Challenger League.

Qualified teams will move on to the Challengers Ascension tournament and compete against other teams in their respective region.

Teams who secure victory at the three Challengers Ascension tournaments will earn a spot in the following year’s international leagues. Those who win Challengers Ascension will enjoy a 2-year tenure in the international leagues.

"Teams who win Challengers Ascension will earn a two-year promotion into their territory’s international league. Promoted teams will have the opportunity to prove themselves against the international league teams during the VCT season, receive similar league benefits, and an equal chance to qualify into Masters and Champions," Riot Games said.

Qualified teams off the international leagues will then progress to "Global Events" where tournaments such as Masters and Champions fall under. In 2023, 10 teams will qualify for their territory's International League, and Valorant will add one team per year until 2027 and 2028.

After the 2-year tenure is done, teams will battle their way back through the Challengers and Ascension tournaments again.

"We want to create a seamless connection between Valorant and the VCT at a global scale through a bridge of make-or-break moments where the lowest ranked Challenger teams have to defend their place against the newest batch of online superstars. We'll have more to share on this system before the end of the year," Valorant said.

They are set to release more details in the coming fall.

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