VALORANT: Riot reveals Ascension EMEA 2025 format, schedule and more details

On Monday, Riot Games has unveiled, through an official press release, the first details of Ascension EMEA 2025, the promotion tournament that offers teams a chance to qualify for the VALORANT Champions Tour. The event will take place from October 18 to 26 at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin and will mark a historic milestone, as two teams will earn a spot in the VCT EMEA 2026, instead of just one as in the two previous editions.

For this year’s competition, eight teams will battle for those two coveted spots: ULF Esports, BBL PCIFIC, Twisted Minds, Enterprise Esports, Mandatory, Joblife, DNSTY, and FOKUS. Split into two groups of four, the teams will compete in a double-elimination GSL format with best-of-three series. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Ascension Matches, the two grand finals of the tournament, played in best-of-five series on October 25 and 26, which will decide the two promoted teams joining the VCT EMEA circuit.

The 2025 edition will deliver a slightly different experience, as the first phase of the event will be played without a live audience. Matches will take place inside the brand-new Pro Player High Performance Rooms at the Riot Games Arena, offering a more bootcamp-like atmosphere rather than a traditional stage setup. The final two days, however, will return to the main arena, welcoming fans back into the stands to cheer for their favorite teams in front of a live crowd.

To conclude the announcement, Riot Games confirmed that the tournament will be played on Patch 11.07, featuring the current map rotation: Abyss, Ascent, Bind, Corrode, Haven, Lotus, and Sunset.