Leviatán’s failure to qualify for VALORANT Champions 2026 has sparked a major debate over whether the VCT’s qualification system needs to be changed.
The controversy comes after the Argentinian organisation became the first team to win a Masters event and still miss out on Champions in the same season.
Leviatán entered VCT Americas Stage 2 with its Champions qualification hopes looking strong after winning Masters London. The team had also finished second in Stage 1, collecting seven VCT points, while its Masters triumph added another eight for a total of 15.
That put Leviatán ahead of NRG, who had 11 points, and G2 Esports, who had 14, heading into Stage 2.
However, the qualification picture changed dramatically during the playoffs.
LOUD produced a surprise run through the lower bracket and eventually reached the grand final, finishing second. Meanwhile, NRG and G2 made deep playoff runs and added 10 and seven points respectively, taking them to 21 points apiece for the season.
Leviatán, meanwhile, were eliminated by G2 in their third playoff series.
The result left them with only four additional points from Stage 2, taking their overall tally to 19 — not enough to secure qualification through the top-two route.
The situation has divided the VALORANT community.
Some fans and professionals believe Leviatán’s Masters victory should have carried greater weight in the qualification system, arguing that a team capable of winning an international Masters title should not be able to miss the season-ending world championship just months later.
Others believe the system worked as intended and that Leviatán ultimately paid the price for its own Stage 2 performance. The team had an opportunity to secure its place but failed to advance deep enough in the playoffs.
The unusual scenario has nevertheless exposed a potential weakness in the current points structure.
Leviatán’s Masters London triumph gave them eight points, while several teams were able to accumulate significant totals through multiple strong domestic performances.
That raises a fundamental question for the VCT: should winning a Masters title provide a more direct path to Champions, or should the entire season continue to be weighted equally through accumulated points and playoff results?
For now, Leviatán will watch Champions Shanghai from the sidelines despite having already proven itself as one of the best teams in the world this season.
Their elimination could ultimately become a turning point for how Riot Games structures VCT qualification in future seasons.
