Riot Games released
the full EMEA Clash bracket on Tuesday, February 17, for the tournament running from
February 19 to 25, 2026. It confirms a twelve-team field divided into two parallel routes, Alpha and Omega, before converging in the latter stages. The line-up brings together
six VCL champions: Enterprise Esports, FOKUS, UCAM Esports, Team Stallions, Joblife, and Beşiktaş Esports,
alongside six invited VCT EMEA organizations:
Team Vitality, Karmine Corp, FUT Esports, GIANTX, Natus Vincere, and ULF Esports.
As a reminder, three VCT EMEA teams have qualified for
Masters Santiago: BBL Esports, Gentle Mates, and Team Liquid, and therefore do not feature in the EMEA Clash field. In addition, Team Heretics and Fnatic have opted not to participate in the tournament, which explains why the VCT invitees were selected from the remaining pool of league teams.
The tournament is structured into two brackets, Alpha and Omega, each using a double-elimination format with an upper and lower bracket. The first round initially mostly pits the VCL representatives against one another in the opening matches, with FUT Esports and ULF Esports standing as the only Tier 1 teams to start immediately, facing Joblife and Beşiktaş Esports respectively, before the other invited VCT teams enter in the subsequent upper-round stage, creating a gradual escalation in opposition rather than a direct draw from the outset.
From there, each team retains a limited margin for error: an early loss sends them into the lower bracket, where the path tightens, and every series carries greater consequence. By design, the bracket prioritises consistency and adaptation across the run, so that progression reflects not only peak level but also the ability to stabilise a system, solve problems in real time, and perform under pressure as the Alpha and Omega paths ultimately converge in the tournament’s final stages.
