Leviatán win Masters London but miss Champions Shanghai: Is the VCT points system unfair?

Today, the global Valorant community is stunned by a paradox: Leviatán, fresh off their title at Masters London – the prestigious mid-season international tournament – failed to qualify for Champions Shanghai, the year-end world championship. This immediately raises the question: is the VCT points system applied by Riot Games truly fair when a world champion can be eliminated right before the biggest event of the year? To understand the issue, we need to look at the tournament structure, Leviatán's own performance, and the fierce competition in the Americas region. VCT 2026 uses a season-long points system: teams earn points from Kickoff, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Masters. Total points across stages determine Champions qualification. Leviatán started the season at a massive disadvantage: their young star Bruno 'Neon' Rodríguez – later MVP at Masters London – couldn't play Kickoff due to VCT's age restriction. This cost them early points. According to Esports Insider, Leviatán finished Kickoff with only 1 point, far behind rivals like NRG and G2 Esports, who had more consistent results. After regaining full strength, Leviatán exploded at Masters London, defeating all opponents and claiming the title. However, Masters rewards only 5 points, bringing their total to 15. Meanwhile, NRG and G2 Esports, thanks to strong performances in Stage 1 and Stage 2, accumulated 18 and 17 points respectively, surpassing Leviatán. Additionally, Leviatán made questionable strategic decisions in Stage 2. With a comfortable position, they voluntarily changed their lineup, banned their signature map Split (where they had an 11–0 record) and Haven, and abandoned the Neon–Phoenix composition that had brought them success at Masters to experiment with new tactics. Prominent caster Sliggy commented bluntly: 'Leviatán lost their spot themselves, not because of the points system. They won Masters through brilliance, but across the whole season they weren't consistent enough.' However, the story doesn't end with Leviatán's mistakes. The Americas region is described as 'absolutely stacked' with at least four equally strong teams: Leviatán, NRG, G2, and 100 Thieves. With limited Champions slots (likely 3 or 4), Leviatán's 15 points placed them 5th or 6th – not enough. If Leviatán competed in a weaker region like China or Pacific, with the same 15 points, they would have qualified. This reveals regional imbalance: a world champion stays home simply because their region is too strong. Public pressure is pushing Riot Games to consider changes. Similar patterns have occurred in LoL Worlds and Dota TI history, where Major winners were often granted direct invites. So what is the solution? Some experts propose giving an automatic berth to Masters winners regardless of points. This would ensure peak performance is rewarded. However, others argue it reduces season-long competition. Personally – with 12 years following esports – I believe the current system has merit, but needs a safety net for international tournament champions. Leviatán is not the first team to fall into this trap, and without adjustment, similar scenarios will repeat, undermining Champions' credibility. Conclusion: Leviatán deserves to be at Champions Shanghai, but they are also victims of an imperfect system and some unwise strategic choices. Riot Games stands at a crossroads: maintain or change? The answer will affect the entire Valorant Esports ecosystem. This is a lesson for all teams: greatness is not just about winning one tournament, but consistency throughout a long season.