This week we’ll be seeing the VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters take place. This is going to be the biggest regional VALORANT event yet, so be sure not to miss it. Here below is all the information about the event, and how to watch it.
Tournament’s background
The VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters is the first Masters we’ve seen in VALORANT so far. With the introduction of the VALORANT Champions Tour we’ve seen a lot of up and coming teams take place of other organizations and this is a perfect opportunity for any organization interested in entering VALORANT to pick up a solid roster.
How to qualify for the main event
All of the teams that qualified for the regional Stage 1 Masters got their spot due to their placement in the Challengers 2 and 3 events. All of the teams that placed in the top 4 of both Challengers events got a direct qualification to the Masters event.
Prize distribution
The European prizepool has been declared to be $150,000 in total. The North American prizepool has not yet been disclosed, however we can expect a similar sum. This is how the prize money will be distributed in Europe:
- 1st – $60,000
- 2nd – $30,000
- 3rd/4th – $15,000
- 5th-6th – $10,000
- 7th-8th – $5,000
Tournament Format for VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters
Both events feature different formats for the Stage 1 Masters, this is how they’re going to be played out:
Europe:
- Consisting of a group stage format with 2 groups of 4 teams.
- Only 2 teams will qualify to playoffs
- All of the matches are in a best of 3.
- Playoffs are played out in a 4 team single-elimination bracket
- Playoff matches are Best of 3, and Finals are Best of 5.
North America:
- Consisting of a double elimination bracket.
- All of the matches are in a best of 3.
- Finals are in a Best of 5.
Teams Participating at the VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters
A total of 8 teams from each region are participating, totalling up to 16. All of these teams have qualified through Challengers events and are preparing for one of the biggest VALORANT events ever. Here is a list of all the teams participating, sorted by their region:
Europe:
- Alliance
- Ninjas In Pyjamas
- FunPlus Phoenix
- Team Heretics
- Guild Esports
- DfuseTeam
- Ballista Esports
- Raise Your Edge Gaming
North America:
- Team Envy
- Sentinels
- Immortals
- XSET
- FaZe Clan
- 100 Thieves
- Luminosity Gaming
- Gen.G Esports
Schedule list
The event is set to start on the 11th of March, and keep playing out till late March on the 21st. Here’s a brief run down of the first few matches for the North American Stage 1 Masters (Since European Groups still haven’t been revealed yet):
Upper Bracket Quarterfinals – March 11, 2021
- 21:00 CET – Team Envy vs Gen.G Esports
- 23:30 CET – XSET vs FaZe Clan
Upper Bracket Quarterfinals – March 12, 2021
- 21:00 CET – Sentinels vs Luminosity
- 23:30 CET – Immortals vs 100 Thieves
Streaming platform list
The European Stage 1 Masters will stream on the VALORANT Esports Europe twitch channel here. The North American Stage 1 Masters on the other hand are streaming from the VALORANT Esports NA twitch channel here.
Watch the VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters stream on esportsguide.com
You can also watch the VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters live stream via our very own website. Providing an extensive list of the biggest esports together with streams for each esports match live today or upcoming matches.
Predictions
With the VCT 2021 Stage 1 Masters being the first ever Masters event in VALORANT, it’s quite tough to predict who will come out on top. Considering Team Heretics had the most success in First Strike EU, we think they have the highest chances of winning it all in the first Masters event. North America on the other hand, is much tougher. With different teams winning all the recent events we can’t just safely pick a team to win. If we base our predictions on recent results however, we can conclude that FaZe Clan, Sentinels or 100 Thieves have the highest odds of victory.
Be sure to keep yourself updated with www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!
