Big changes are coming to the VALORANT Ascension program, with teams having the chance to keep or even defend their spot.
Starting in 2025, the way VALORANT's Ascension program works will drastically change. Riot Games is updating the promotion standards, to allow teams to stay in their respective International League longer based on their performance.
We have everything you need to know regarding this update to Ascension, so let's dive in.
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VALORANT Ascension changes to a performance-based criteria in 2025
Teams promoted through Ascension originally had a fixed term in VCT Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. While a promotion length remains in place, they are now able to defend their spot and stay within their league with a solid performance.
Here is the summary of takeaways before we touch on the larger details:
- Auto-regulation is no more, as it is replaced with a performance based renewal method
- Ascension teams now have a term length of 1-year
- International Leagues will be capped at 12 teams per league
There are three categories that Riot Games has laid out for Ascension extension and relegation:
- Extend: If an Ascension team qualifies for Champions, they extend their term in their IL for another year. If multiple Ascension teams in one IL qualify, the team that performs best at Champions receives the extension.
- Fight: If an Ascension team ends their year in the Top 8 of their IL, they can defend their place in the league. The team heads to the Ascension tournament against Challengers teams, either regaining their Ascension promotion or going back to Challengers.
- Relegate: If an Ascension team does not make Stage 2 Playoffs in their IL, they will relegate back to Challengers. If both Ascension teams fail to make playoffs, two new teams replace them.
This not only incentivizes organizations to invest in Premier and Challengers teams, but it gives teams an incentive to play that much harder. Now, we don't have to wonder what happens if an Ascension team wins a major tournament, only to potentially go back to Challengers just months later.
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