Valorant Challengers PH Stage 2 sets up road to Iceland

Filipino Valorant pros and aspirants get a chance to fly to Reykjavik, Iceland in the upcoming Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2021 Challengers Philippines Stage 2 set to start this month. 

Renowned game developer Riot Games rolled out a new format for the second stage of the VCT which leads to its first global LAN event, the Valorant Stage 2 Masters, slated in the capital of Iceland in May. 

Set to be hosted by the Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL) co-owned by Mineski Philippines and Globe Telecom, the Challengers PH Stage 2 will have two open qualifiers and three knockout playoffs taking place over five weeks to determine the two rightful representatives of the country in the online Southeast Asia Challengers Final. 

The two best Filipino bets will duke it out against the qualified teams from Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong & Taiwan and Malaysia & Singapore for the lone spot of the SEA region in the Masters in Iceland. 

Besides a path to the coveted slot to the global Masters, the Challengers PH Stage 2 also stakes a total prize pool of P550,000. 

Registration for the first week of the national tournament was set on March 15-21 (extended until March 24, 7 p.m.), with the open qualifiers happening on March 27-28 and the playoffs on April 4-6. 

For the second week, registration started on March 15 and will close on April 6, with the open qualifiers set on April 10-11 and the playoffs on April 16-18. 

The registration is free to all aspiring pro teams in the country. 

Bren Esports and ArkAngel ruled the Challengers PH Stage 1 and competed in the SEA Masters last March 19-21. 

However, Bren lost 2-1 to Indonesia's BOOM Esports while ArkAngel fell 2-0 to HK-Taiwan's KPC as the two PH squads bowed out right in the first round of the regional tilt which eventually crowned Thailand's X10 Esports as the champion. 

Sadly, ArkAngel dropped its Valorant roster a day after the SEA Masters.