Leviatán and the VCT Paradox: When the King Is Kicked Off the Biggest Stage

Just weeks after lifting the prestigious Masters London trophy, Leviatán – the world’s top Valorant team – received shocking news: they did not qualify for Champions Shanghai, the biggest tournament of the year. A global champion kicked off the main stage due to… lack of points. This paradox has made the entire community question: is the VCT system truly fair? Context: VCT 2026 uses a season-long points accumulation system. Teams earn points from Kickoff, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Masters. The teams with the highest total points in each region (Americas, EMEA, Pacific, CN) earn a spot at Champions. There is no automatic berth for the Masters champion. Leviatán won Masters London – a feat – but their points total was only 15, lower than NRG and G2 Esports. Why? The story begins at the start of the season. Leviatán entered Kickoff with a new player, young star Bruno ‘Neon’ Rodríguez – who later won MVP at Masters. But due to age restrictions (under 18), Neon could not play in Kickoff. Leviatán lost crucial points in that important phase. Meanwhile, NRG and G2 Esports had full rosters, accumulating points steadily. By the time Neon could play, they were already behind in points. In Stage 2, Leviatán had a chance to recoup points, but they made it hard for themselves. In matches, they banned their strongest map – Split – where they had an 11-0 record. They also abandoned the Neon + Phoenix composition that won them Masters. Veteran caster Sliggy stated bluntly: “They are to blame themselves.” Experimenting with tactics in low-stakes matches was an unnecessary risk. Result: Leviatán stopped at the Champions qualifier. The core point is the tension between peak performance and consistency. The VCT system rewards regularity. A team that wins Masters can still fail if they perform poorly in other stages. Conversely, a team that wins no tournaments but is consistent can still qualify. Does this truly reflect strength? Americas is described as “stacked” with many strong teams like NRG, G2, 100 Thieves. If Leviatán had the same 15 points in a weaker region, they would have qualified. This raises questions about inter-regional fairness. Contrarian view: Some say they deserved to be eliminated. They had opportunities but made poor decisions. Winning Masters does not grant permission to make mistakes. This system forces teams to play every match seriously, preventing a team from only “exploding” at one event then coasting. But another view is that world champions should be prioritized – like in traditional sports where the Champions League winner automatically enters the next season’s knockout stage. Riot Games will likely need to review this. Takeaway: Leviatán remains a strong team, but the lesson is not to be complacent. They need to prioritize points from the very start. On Riot’s side, public pressure may lead to rule changes – for instance, granting an automatic berth to the Masters champion. If that happens, team strategies will shift entirely. For now, Leviatán must watch Champions from home, wondering: “What if…”