Riot Games has confirmed that the VALORANT Ascension Americas 2025, a key promotional tournament for the region, will take place in São Paulo, Brazil. This tier-two event, set for October, will offer a $100,000 prize pool to be shared among the competing teams. Specific dates and ticket information will be announced later.
Updated Tournament Format
This year’s Ascension Americas introduces a revised structure, influenced by the evaluation of the two previously promoted teams, G2 Esports and 2GAME Esports. Their performance will determine whether they retain their VCT Americas spots, must defend them in Ascension, or face relegation to the Challengers League.
To accommodate these possibilities, the tournament will feature eight teams instead of the usual six, incorporating a play-in phase. The third-seeded teams from Brazil, Latin America, and North America will compete in a single round-robin to secure advancement, but this phase will only occur if one or no invited teams participate in Ascension.
Tournament Structure and Phases
The advancing team or teams from the play-in will join the top two seeds from Brazil, Latin America, and North America in a Swiss-style phase. The top four teams from this stage will move forward, with all matches played as best-of-three series.
In the playoffs, the remaining four teams will battle in a double-elimination bracket. Matches will be best-of-three, except for the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final, which will be best-of-five, heightening the stakes for the final showdown.
Promotion Opportunities and Team Evaluations
The number of available VCT Americas spots will depend on the evaluation outcomes for G2 Esports and 2GAME Esports. Performance is a critical factor in this process. G2 Esports, having consistently placed in the top three and won VCT Americas: Stage 1, is likely to maintain its position. Meanwhile, 2GAME Esports faces challenges, having struggled in the lower half of the standings during the VCT Americas Kickoff and Stage 1.