What Is the Ascension Tournament in VALORANT?

In the VALORANT competitive scene, Ascension is an official competition within the Champions Tour (VCT) ecosystem that functions as a bridge between the Tier 2 scene and the main circuit in the four regions (Americas, China, EMEA, Pacific). In practical terms, it pits at the end of the season the best teams emerging from the regional leagues, known as the VALORANT Challengers League, against one another to determine which roster has earned the right to move up to the next level and will temporarily be promoted to VCT.

The objective is straightforward: to provide a structured route into the elite tier. Rather than keeping the top level restricted to the same organizations year after year, Ascension enables new, high-performing teams to secure a place in the upper league by rewarding sustained results and the ability to maintain a consistently strong competitive standard.

Ascension is run on a regional basis, and its winner earns promotion to the corresponding franchised league within VCT. That promotion represents a significant shift: greater visibility, stronger opposition, and a more demanding environment across competitive, media, and organisational dimensions. Crucially, it also opens the door to the international calendar, including events such as the Masters and Champions.

For teams and players, Ascension is therefore a pivotal moment. It can elevate an ambitious project into a recognised presence within the circuit, while also serving as a showcase through which new talent can be identified. For spectators, it offers a way to follow the next wave of contenders and to see which teams can genuinely make the jump from regional success to sustained performance at the highest level.