Backlog report, updated 14 October 2026. The EMEA Stage 2 play-ins ran 6–16 August. Riot placed the four qualified Challenger teams in a double-elimination bracket with eight VCT EMEA teams outside the direct playoff places. The top four play-in sides advanced. League teams finishing third or fourth in their groups had an upper-bracket bye, so the path was open but the seeding still rewarded earlier results.
The TGN read
I like that balance. A Challenger needs a real route, and a league team’s group record should still have value. It is not an equal starting line, but it is a meaningful competition. The test for the open circuit is whether its teams can force established rosters to change their prep, not simply appear in the official graphic. The tournament recaps tell you who won the trophy; this bracket tells you why the route there was harder than it looked.
Should Challenger sides have received the same play-in seeding as league teams? Follow TGN and join the conversation on your preferred channel.