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Writer's pictureTanmay Mhatre (@TanmayyMhatre)
3 hours ago3 min read

Challengers North America 2025: Details Revealed, Liga ACE Named New Tournament Organizer

The 2025 season of Challengers North America is set to introduce significant changes, including a revamped competitive structure, an expanded pool of teams, and a fresh tournament operator. Liga ACE Esports will take over as the official organizer, bringing their expertise from Latin America to North America’s VALORANT ecosystem.



After two successful years managing Challengers in Latin America, Liga ACE Esports has been appointed as the new tournament organizer for Challengers North America. Known for delivering high-quality events and nurturing emerging talent, they aim to elevate the competition in the region.


“Our mission is to provide a top-tier competitive experience while fostering the development of emerging talent,” Liga ACE stated. “We are excited to embark on this journey with the players, teams, and fans of this vibrant community.”


As part of this transition, Challengers North America will shift to new official communication channels:


Knights Arena, the previous tournament operator, has been commended for their efforts in building a strong foundation for the scene over the past seasons.


Expanded Competitive Structure

The 2025 Challengers North America season will feature 16 teams, an increase from last year, and adopt a three-stage format spanning January to September. Each stage includes:


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  • Swiss Group Stage:

    • 16 teams compete in Bo3 matches.

    • Teams need 4 wins to qualify for playoffs, while 4 losses result in elimination.



  • Playoffs:

    • The top 8 teams from the Swiss stage play in a double-elimination bracket.

    • Matches are Bo3, except for the Bo5 Grand Final.



Key Dates

  • Open Qualifiers Registration: Early January

  • Stage 1: January to March

  • Stage 2: April to May

  • Stage 3: July to September

  • Promotion/Relegation Cycles: March, May, and September


Teams

The league will feature a mix of invited teams, academy teams, and open qualifiers:

  • Invited Teams (11):

    • TSM

    • Moist X Shopify Rebellion

    • YPF Gaming

    • QoR

    • SaD Esports

    • Turtle Troops

    • Trust in Plug

    • Ambrossia

    • RANKERS

    • Nightblood Gaming

  • Academy Team (1):

    • Sentinels Academy

  • Open Slots (4):

    • 2 teams will be selected from the Invite layer of Premier Episode 9 Act 3

    • 3 teams to be defined through Open and Closed Qualifiers

      • 64 teams Open Qualifier

      • Closed Qualifier: An 8 team double elimination bracket with the best 4 teams of the Open Qualifier and 4 invited teams, they will compete for three spots in the ACE VALORANT Challengers NA 2025.

      • From Stage 3 2024 VALORANT Challengers NA: Blue Otter and Winthrop University

      • From Game Changers Championship 2024: FlyQuest Red and Shopify Rebellion




Promotion and Relegation

The promotion and relegation system ensures fluid movement between Challengers and Premier.

  • After Stage 1 and 2, the bottom 3 Challengers teams and top 3 Premier teams will face off in round-robin and Bo5 matches to determine league spots.

  • After Stage 3, the process expands, with 4 Challengers teams and 4 Premier teams competing for positions in the 2026 season.


Qualification for Ascension 2025

Two teams from Challengers North America will earn spots at VCT Ascension:

  1. Stage 3 Champion: Automatically qualifies.

  2. Circuit Points Leader: The team with the highest points across all stages.


Broadcast

Fans can catch all the action live on the following platforms:


Challengers North America 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year of competition with fresh opportunities for players and teams. Follow the action on Liga ACE Esports’ official channels and stay tuned for the latest updates.

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