Since the beginning of January, VCT Challengers 2024 has been taking place around the world. With multiple online tournaments taking place at the same time in each region, Japan has emerged as one of the most talked about regions in competitive Valorant. Due to the success of VCT Masters Toyko 2023, there has been a surge in popularity for the game within the nation. Here's a recap of Valorant Challengers League 2024 Japan: Split 1.
Also Read: Valorant Champions Tour 2024: Pacific Kickoff - Day 2 Recap
What Is the Format of Valorant Challengers League Japan 2024 Split 1?
Valorant Challengers League Japan 2024 consists of 8 teams in the group stages. Each of the teams qualified for the group stages through a rigorous open qualifier phase. Valorant Challengers Japan 2024 was one of the few events that had no invited teams directly qualify for the group stages. Below are all the 8 teams that will be taking part in VCT Challengers Japan Split 1 2024:
- Reject
- Fennel
- Varrel
- Sengoku Gaming
- Murash Gaming
- Northeption
- Scarz
- Igzist
The format of VCT Challengers Japan is unique among all Challenger Leagues worldwide. The group stage will be played in a round-robin format where each team will face the other in best of three series. The top two teams in the group stage qualify directly for the upper bracket final. Teams in the third to sixth positions will face each other in lower brackets during the playoffs.
A Recap Of Valorant Challengers League 2024 Japan: Split 1 Until Matchday 4
Currently, there is one team who is undefeated in the tournament and it is none other than FENNEL. They sit at the top of the table with four wins to their name. FENNEL has a plus 50-round difference at the moment, and qualified for VCT Challengers League Japan 2024 from the first Open Qualifiers of the tournament. They have just lost 1 map in all their matches. One of the players to watch out for is SyouTa who currently has an ACS of 297.8 and an ADR of 189.
The team in second is none other than Reject. They currently have won three out of the four games that they have played in the group stage. Reject will be facing off against FENNEL on the 10th of March.
Three teams have won two and lost two games. These are Sengoku Gaming, VARREL & Northeption. In their match against Sengoku Gaming, VARREL triumphed in a close 2-0 series with the first map going to overtime. The maps ended with a score of 15-13 on Icebox and 13-11 on Bind.
Storylines To Watch Out for At Valorant Challengers League 2024 Japan Split 1
All the teams in Valorant Challengers League 2024 Japan have a 2-week break before their next set of fixtures. This would provide them with some much-needed recovery time. Last season, Scarz was the team from Japan to play in VCT Ascension 2023. They came second, losing only to Bleed Esports in the Grand Finals. Currently, they sit in 6th place. They lost their first 3 matches in the group stages but won their latest match against the 4th-placed VARREL.
FENNEL needs to win 2 out of their last 3 games to secure a slot in the upper bracket finals in the playoffs. The teams between the 2nd and 5th position will need to secure a minimum of 2 wins to increase their chances of landing in the upper finals. If Scarz can get back on the same run of form they showed last year and win the next 3 games, they might have a small chance to secure their spot in the playoffs this season.
The VCT Challengers Japan split 1 2024 playoff stage will be held from March 12th to March 20th. Matches are expected to be best of 3 series in the Upper bracket final, a best of 3 in the Lower bracket final, and a best of 5 in the Grand final. The Lower bracket final and Grand final will be played offline which will increase the level of competition for both players and organizations.