VALORANT EMEA Clash 2026: Format, schedule, and how to watch

The VALORANT EMEA Clash 2026 will be a showdown between top VCT teams and rising Challengers squads, creating an exciting competition.

The EMEA Kickoff tournament is wrapping up, but VALORANT fans have more to look forward to before Masters Santiago. The EMEA Clash, run by Vanguard, will give teams that didn’t make it to the first international event of 2026 another chance to compete.

EMEA Clash 2026

EMEA Clash 2026 will pit the best VALORANT teams from the established VCT EMEA league against up-and-coming players from the Challengers circuit, with the event’s structure reflecting the game’s storyline. After the initial Kickoff stage, six teams will miss out on qualifying for Masters Santiago. These teams will then be joined by six teams from the Challengers leagues, creating a 12-team tournament.

Tournament format

The EMEA Clash 2026 tournament is different from most others because it will have an Alpha versus Omega format. This means two separate double-elimination brackets will run at the same time, and ultimately, the event will crown two champions: the Alpha champion and the Omega champion.

The road through the brackets depends on performance:

  • The VCT Elite: The Top 4 teams from VCT EMEA Kickoff 2026 earn a “bye” directly into Round 2
  • The Challenger Pool: A randomized draw will determine the placement of the remaining two VCT EMEA teams alongside six Challengers teams
  • The Rule: The random draw will guarantee that the 2 VCT EMEA teams from the pool are placed in separate brackets

Although the tournament brackets appear separate, they’re actually linked, similar to how Alpha and Omega are connected. Starting with Round 2, if a team loses in the Alpha bracket, they’ll be moved to the Omega bracket instead of simply being eliminated. This also works in reverse – teams losing in the Omega bracket will drop into the Alpha bracket.

Where to watch the EMEA Clash

VALORANT’s EMEA Clash 2026 will take place from February 19th to 25th. You can tune in to the official VCT EMEA YouTube and Twitch channels to watch all the matches. For extra content and exclusive coverage, be sure to also check out the Challengers channels – they’ll have some exciting surprises during the event.

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2026-02-03 14:11