Valorant First Strike Europe: Schedule, format, and how to watch

Valorant has quickly made itself one of the most exciting and well-supported esports in the world, with many of the world's top esport organisations fielding teams, and players jumping ship from Overwatch, CS:GO and even Fortnite to try their hand at Riot's new shooter the anticipation for the next round of tournaments is high.

Thankfully, there isn't too much longer to wait and things are getting levelled up too, with  Riot Games now in control for the First Strike tournaments.

With COVID-19 still making international travel difficult, the First Strike tournaments will be a series of regional events played over several weeks to ultimately crown the best team in each region.

Riot revealed further details for the European section of the First Strike tournament with North America likely to follow.

Valorant First Strike: Europe - Schedule

First Strike will host a series of Open qualifiers giving teams, signed or not, the chance to compete in the main event.

The open qualifiers will take place between the 9th-22nd of November.

Teams won't be tied into a particular qualifier meaning they will have four chances to reach the main event if they so chose.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Open qualifier schedule:

• Week 1
  • November 9-10: Qualifier A
  • November 11-12: Qualifier B
  • November 13: Play-In #1
  • November 14-15: Playoffs
• Week 2
  • November 16-17: Qualifier C
  • November 18-19: Qualifier D
  • November 20: Play-In #2
  • November 21-22: Playoffs

The main event will take place in the first week of December from the 3rd-6th.

(Picture: Riot Games)

First Strike Europe main event:

• December 3-4: Quarter-finals
• December 5: Semi-finals
• December 6: Final

Format

• Open Qualifiers
  • Bo1
  • Top 16 teams advance
• Play-in 1+2
  • Bo1 
  • Top 8 teams advance
• Playoffs 1+2
  
  • Bo3
  • Top 4 teams advance

• Main event
  • Quarter-finals (December 3-4)
    • Bo3
  • Semi-finals (December 5)
    • Bo3
  • Finals (December 6)
    • Bo5

First Strike: Europe - how to watch

There are no official details on where the tournament can be watched but it will very likely be streamed on the official Valorant Twitch channel which we have embedded for you below.