Should VCT change its qualification rules after Masters London champion Leviatán missed out on Champions Shanghai?

I still vividly remember the moment Leviatán lifted the Masters London trophy back in March. On stage, the young men in black embraced, eyes red. Neo – the 18-year-old duelist who had just crossed the age threshold – was the tournament MVP, and the entire arena roared as if a new dynasty was born. Yet only six weeks later, the shocking news: Leviatán did not qualify for Champions Shanghai, the biggest Valorant event of the year. It felt like the Champions League winner being denied a World Cup spot. A paradox that forced me to sit down, re-examine every number, and ask: is the VCT points system truly fair? To understand what happened, we need to look at the big picture. The VCT 2026 uses a cumulative points system across four stages: Kickoff, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Masters. Points from each stage are added up, and at the end of the season, the teams with the highest points in each region earn a spot at Champions. Leviatán belongs to the Americas region, which, according to renowned caster Sliggy, is “absolutely stacked.” They started the season at Kickoff without Neo, because he was not yet old enough (VCT mandates a minimum age of 18, and Neo’s birthday fell at the end of February, after Kickoff). Losing their most crucial piece, Leviatán scraped only 1 point from Kickoff. Meanwhile, direct rivals like NRG and G2 Esports had already harvested 6 and 5 points from the opening stage. A six-point gap may sound small, but in a region where only the top 4 teams get Champions spots, every point is gold. Leviatán then won Masters London – an international stage where they defeated the world’s best – earning 3 additional points. In total, they ended with 15 points after all stages. According to unofficial sources, the threshold to enter the Americas top 4 was 18 points. Leviatán fell short by 3 points – roughly equivalent to one victory in Stage 1 or Stage 2. And that’s when I looked at their tactical choices. In Stage 2, while still in contention, Leviatán self-banned Split – a map where they had an 11-0 record. They also abandoned their trusted Neon-Phoenix composition to experiment with new strategies. Sliggy, in an analysis, bluntly stated: “They brought this upon themselves. When you have a winning formula, you don’t change it just because you feel bored.” Yes, boredom – perhaps the disease of champions. They were accustomed to winning and thought they could experiment and still be safe. But in a ruthless system like VCT, there is no room for complacency. From a contrarian perspective, I believe Leviatán deserved to be eliminated – not because they are weak, but because they misjudged the situation. They chose to experiment in the very group-stage matches that were their last chance to earn points. When you self-ban your strongest map, you are telling your opponent, “I don’t need this win.” And the opponent, of course, will take advantage. However, I also understand that the current system has an inherent flaw: it prioritizes season-long consistency over peak moments. A team that wins Masters – the second-largest international title of the year – does not receive an automatic berth to Champions. This creates an absurdity in the eyes of fans. “An error in one letter, remembered for a lifetime: a player’s name is not just characters.” But here, “an error in one point, remembered for an entire season.” Should Riot change this? I think yes. They should add at least one wildcard spot for the Masters champion, or increase the weight of international tournament points. Because otherwise, we will have a Champions missing one of the best teams – and that diminishes the tournament’s value. “An empty arena, but I can hear more clearly the heartbeat of a whole community.” In this case, the arena is missing Leviatán, and the entire community is calling for fairness. But I also want to say: Leviatán will remain strong. They will return next season with a costly lesson. And Riot, if wise, will listen. Finally, “When a new star shines, an entire generation sees itself in that light.” Neo is a new star. But his brilliance was not enough to carry his team to Champions, because the system did not allow it. The question remains: do we want esports to celebrate peaks, or reward consistency? I lean towards both, but with a slight preference for those who have proven themselves on the international stage. And I believe, after this storm, VCT will be better.