VCT LOCK//IN to take place in São Paulo

VCT LOCK//IN 2023 is just around the corner. Less than a month separates us from the start of the inaugural VCT 2023 event in São Paulo, Brazil, with the participation of the 30 partner teams. In addition, according to the latest reports, the LAN, which will kick off the 2023 VCT season, will feature two invited Chinese organizations.

VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo 2023

The event will be held at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil, starting February 13, 2023. The tournament will last 20 days, and, as mentioned before, it will count the participation of 32 teams that will fight against each other to win the first LAN tournament of the new VCT circuit.

As we have mentioned on different occasions, the 30 partner organizations of Riot Games for this VCT correspond to the Americas, EMEA, and Pacific regions. In addition, they will be joined by two invited Chinese organizations, EDward Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix. Recall that EDG was part of VALORANT Champions 2022 and FunPlus Phoenix, who promoted their ZHUQUE lineup to the central team.

Tournament format

In the event, the 32 participating teams will be separated into two groups of 16 which are called Alpha and Omega. Draws will decide the crossings in each group. In addition, as we have four participating regions, the draw ensures no clashes between teams from the same region.

On the other hand, these draws also maximize the possibility of these inter-regional matches coming in the second round.

The 16 teams in each group will play each other in a best-of-three single-elimination playoff until only two teams remain. In the semifinals, the matches are best-of-five (BO5). Finally, the Grand Final of the tournament is with the winners of both groups, also best of five (BO5).

Drawing of matches

Teams from each VCT region have a number from 1 to 10. On the other hand, teams from the China region are paired with teams from the Americas and EMEA, as the Pacific region usually faces Chinese teams. For the rest of the pairings, the draws were made at random.

VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo 2023 first-round matches

Group Alpha

• Americas vs. Pacific – 3
• EMEA vs. Pacific – 2
• America vs. EMEA – 2
• China vs. EMEA -1

Omega Group

• Americas vs. Pacific – 2
• EMEA vs. Pacific – 3
• Americas vs. EMEA – 2
• Americas vs. China – 1

The matches are played in single elimination. This means that a single loss will mean direct elimination from the tournament. Furthermore, the matches will be played on LAN and in front of a live audience. This may work against some teams and players, as not all of them have played a live tournament in their careers. On the contrary, those experienced as former CS:GO professionals know what they will face.

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