Riot Games announces changes to VCT Masters 3: Berlin format

After facing pressure from the VALORANT community and professional player following the announcement of the VALORANT Champions Tour Masters 3: Berlin format, Riot Games has announced changes to the international tournament.

In a statement from the circuit’s official Twitter account, the Head of Competitive Operations for VALORANT esports, Alex Francois, said the original Masters 3 format was created to provide teams with a small break between the group stage and the playoffs during the nine-day event.

Based on player and fan feedback, the #VALORANTMasters Berlin knockout stage will pivot to an eight-team single elimination bracket and remove the final match of group play. Additional details on the format will be shared next week. pic.twitter.com/MKVugwPpgD

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 21, 2021

“The selection of this format was driven by concerns that an eight-team Knockout Stage would need to start on the same day the Group Stage would end, forcing some teams to compete in the first Knockout Stage matches without any time for preparation,” Francois said. “After hearing the community’s feedback we determined that the Knockout Stage draw could be held at an earlier point in the tournament, which would provided teams with a clearer and earlier indication of their protentional opponents, allowing them to prepare for their first Knockout Stage match. The only additional requirement is that the Knockout Stage schedule will need to be set after the draw.”

The community pressure focused on the playoff stage format and the lack of teams that could qualify for the event. The original format had the 16 teams play in GSL-groups with the top team from each earning a spot in the playoffs. This would have resulted in a four team, single-elimination bracket that would have taken place over two days.

Now, the group stage will be more like a classic GSL group stage, in which the winners of the upper and lower bracket will qualify to the playoffs, as Riot has now eliminated the group final matchup game. The playoffs will also take place during the course of four days with its seeding draw taking place “at an earlier point in the tournament.”

The event will still run from Sept. 10 through the 19 and presumably stay on its tight schedule for matches in the German city. There are still three slots yet to be filled for the international LAN event: Brazil’s final slot and both of South East Asia’s seeds.

The two regions will crown their final representatives on Saturday.