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1v1 Duels: VCT 2026 Introduces Skirmish Side Selection
VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) has eliminated the randomness of coin tosses for the 2026 season, introducing a 1v1 Skirmish format that puts player skill at the center to determine map and side selection priority. Starting with the 2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff on January 22, equally seeded teams will send one player each into a pure aim duel to determine who gains the crucial advantage in pick-and-ban phases.
Rules and Mechanics
The new Skirmish Side Selection system operates under straightforward rules designed to showcase raw mechanical skill.
Each team selects one representative to compete in a first-to-five-rounds showdown, with league officials determining the time and location of these duels. The critical twist: no abilities are allowed whatsoever. This strips away any distractions, leaving only gunplay fundamentals to decide the outcome.
Global Implementation
This implementation applies across all three international leagues (Pacific, Americas, and EMEA) marking a universal shift in how VCT handles seeding tiebreakers. For teams entering Kickoff tournaments with identical placements, the Skirmish winner earns priority when selecting maps and choosing which side to start on, advantages that can significantly impact match trajectories before the official games even begin.
Competitive Integration
The timing of this announcement aligns with Riot's broader integration of Skirmish mode into VALORANT's ecosystem. Originally introduced during Champions 2025, Skirmish was designed as a round-based team deathmatch mode ranging from 1v1 to 5v5 formats.
The competitive adoption for side selection represents the first official use of this mode in professional tournament structures, transforming what was initially a warmup and casual feature into a competitive determinant.
Impact on Tournament Preparation
VCT Pacific's Kickoff stage runs through February 15, with opening matches featuring Nongshim RedForce versus Team Secret and ZETA DIVISION against FULL SENSE. As the tournament approaches, teams must now consider an additional factor in their preparation: identifying which player possesses the mechanical prowess to handle the pressure of a 1v1 duel that could influence their entire tournament run.
This departure from traditional randomized systems reflects a philosophy shift toward skill expression at every competitive level.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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VCT EMEA 2026 Kickoff: All You Need To Know