VNT First Strike Open Series

VNT FIRST STRIKE OPEN SERIES

Official Tournament Rules

Game: VALORANT

Format: 5v5

Initial Team Capacity: 16 Teams

Expansion: May increase based on demand

Tournament Structure: Group Stage → Double Elimination Playoffs

Group Stage: Best of 1

Playoffs: Best of 3

Grand Final: Best of 5

Minimum Age: 13+

Region: EU

Prize Pool: 1st 10$ 2nd/3rd Guaranteed Invite to next VNT Tournament.

Broadcast: Selected matches may be streamed

Organizer: Project VANTA (VNT)

Discord: https://discord.gg/V6uswTxZVa To sign up your team after joining.

1. Tournament Overview

The VNT First Strike Open Series is a 5v5 VALORANT tournament organized by Project VANTA (VNT).

The tournament is designed to provide teams with a competitive environment focused on teamwork, communication, strategy, adaptability, and individual skill.

The initial tournament is planned for 16 teams.

If demand exceeds the initial capacity, VNT reserves the right to expand the tournament to accommodate additional teams.

The tournament consists of two primary stages:

Stage 1 — Group Stage

Teams compete in Best of 1 matches.

Stage 2 — Double-Elimination Playoffs

Qualified teams advance into a double-elimination bracket, where matches are played as Best of 3.

The exact number of teams advancing from the Group Stage will be announced before the tournament begins.

By registering, all players confirm that they have read, understood, and agreed to these rules.

2. Eligibility

• Participation is open to players aged 13 or older.
• Players under 18 must comply with any applicable Riot Games requirements and the laws/rules applicable to them.
• Each team consists of 5 starting players.
• Teams may register up to 2 substitutes.
• Each player may represent only one team in the tournament.
• Players must register using their correct VALORANT name and Discord ID.
• Players must use the Riot account registered with the tournament.
• Players may not knowingly allow another person to play on their account.
• Players must remain eligible throughout the tournament.

Tournament staff may request reasonable information when necessary to verify player eligibility.

3. Team Registration

Each team must provide:

• Team name
• Team captain
• Player 1 — VALORANT name + Discord ID
• Player 2 — VALORANT name + Discord ID
• Player 3 — VALORANT name + Discord ID
• Player 4 — VALORANT name + Discord ID
• Player 5 — VALORANT name + Discord ID
• Substitute, if applicable

The team captain will act as the primary contact between VNT and the team.

Teams are responsible for ensuring that all submitted information is accurate.

4. Roster Rules

Each team may register:

5 starting players + 2 substitutes

A substitute may replace a starting player when necessary.

Once the tournament begins, roster changes are restricted.

A player who has already participated for one team may not transfer to another team during the same tournament.

Any emergency roster change must be approved by tournament staff.

VNT may deny a roster change if it could negatively affect competitive integrity.

5. Team & Player Names

Team and player names must be appropriate for a public competitive event.

The following are prohibited:

• Racist or discriminatory names
• Hate speech or slurs
• Threatening names
• Excessively explicit names
• Harassment
• Names impersonating another player, team, or tournament staff
• Names designed to bypass moderation

VNT may require a team or player to change their name before participating.

6. Conduct & Sportsmanship

All participants are expected to behave respectfully toward:

• Teammates
• Opposing teams
• Tournament staff
• Casters
• Streamers
• Spectators
• The VNT community

The following behavior is prohibited:

• Racist remarks or slurs
• Discrimination
• Hate speech
• Harassment
• Threats
• Personal attacks
• Intentional provocation
• Excessive toxicity
• Spam
• Deliberate disruption
• Unsportsmanlike behavior

VNT does not tolerate racist or discriminatory remarks.

Depending on the severity of an incident, tournament staff may issue:

1. A warning
2. Round loss
3. Match loss
4. Player removal
5. Team disqualification
6. Removal from the VNT community
7. Ban from future VNT events

Severe offenses may result in immediate disqualification.

7. Tournament Structure

The tournament consists of:

GROUP STAGE

Teams will be divided into groups.

Group Stage matches are:

Best of 1

The Group Stage will determine which teams advance to the Playoffs.

The exact group size, number of groups, and advancement criteria will be announced once the final number of participating teams has been confirmed.

DOUBLE-ELIMINATION PLAYOFFS

Qualified teams advance into a Double-Elimination Playoff Bracket.

Playoff matches are:

Best of 3

A team is eliminated after suffering two series losses.

The Upper Bracket provides teams with a second opportunity following their first series loss.

Teams losing in the Upper Bracket will move into the Lower Bracket where applicable.

8. Grand Final

The Grand Final will be played as:

Best of 5

The Grand Final will determine the winner of the VNT First Strike Open Series.

VNT may announce additional Grand Final rules or procedures before the Playoffs begin.

9. Group Stage Seeding

Group Stage seeding may be determined through one or more of the following:

• Random draw
• Registration order
• Competitive seeding
• Previous tournament results
• VNT organizer seeding

The final seeding method will be announced before the Group Stage.

VNT may use competitive seeding to avoid unnecessarily placing teams with similar competitive backgrounds in the same group.

10. Group Stage Standings

Teams will receive standings based on their match results.

The exact advancement format will depend on the final number of participating teams.

Possible tiebreakers may include:

1. Match record
2. Head-to-head result
3. Round differential
4. Additional tournament tiebreaker
5. Decider match, where necessary

The final tiebreaker system will be announced before the tournament.

11. Map Pool

The official tournament map pool will be announced by VNT before the tournament.

The map pool may be updated if Riot Games introduces significant changes to the competitive map pool before the event.

All tournament matches will use maps from the official VALORANT map pool.

12. Map Veto

Each match will use an official map veto.

The veto procedure may differ between:

• Group Stage BO1
• Playoff BO3
• Grand Final BO5

The exact veto order will be provided to teams before the tournament.

Once the veto has been completed, the selected map(s) are considered final unless tournament staff determines that a change is necessary.

Teams may not intentionally delay or interfere with the veto process.

13. Match Scheduling

VNT will publish the tournament schedule through the official VNT Discord.

Teams are responsible for checking:

• Match times
• Opponents
• Bracket position
• Tournament announcements
• Schedule changes
• Veto instructions

Team captains are responsible for communicating relevant information to their players.

14. Check-In

Teams must check in before their scheduled match.

Teams should be ready at least 10 minutes before match time.

All required players must:

• Be available
• Be in the designated Discord
• Be ready to join the lobby
• Use their registered Riot accounts

Failure to check in or be ready may result in a default loss.

15. Punctuality & No-Shows

Teams are expected to be ready at the scheduled match time.

If a team is more than 10 minutes late, tournament staff may award a default win to the opposing team.

If a team completely fails to appear, the opposing team may receive a default win.

If both teams fail to appear, VNT will determine the appropriate outcome.

Repeated lateness may result in additional penalties or removal from the tournament.

16. Match Lobbies

Tournament staff will provide teams with the necessary lobby information.

Players must join using their registered accounts.

Teams must not invite unauthorized spectators or players into the lobby.

Any spectator access must be approved by tournament staff.

17. Technical Issues

Technical issues must be reported to tournament staff immediately.

Examples include:

• Game crashes
• Connection problems
• Hardware failures
• Server issues
• Significant VALORANT-related problems

Players should attempt to resolve technical problems as quickly as possible.

Technical problems do not automatically result in a replay.

Tournament staff will determine how the situation should be handled.

18. Technical Pauses

Each team receives:

10 minutes of technical pause time per match.

The pause allowance:

• Is separate for each team.
• May be divided into multiple pauses.
• Is intended for legitimate technical problems.
• May not be intentionally abused.

Once a team's pause time has been exhausted, the team must continue playing unless tournament staff decides otherwise.

Tournament staff may pause a match independently when necessary.

19. Disconnects

If a player disconnects:

1. Notify tournament staff immediately.
2. Use available technical pause time if necessary.
3. Attempt to reconnect as quickly as possible.

A personal internet or hardware issue does not automatically require a replay.

If the issue affects multiple players or appears to originate from the game/server infrastructure, tournament staff may take additional action.

20. Cheats & Unauthorized Software

The use of cheats or unauthorized software is strictly prohibited.

This includes:

• Aimbots
• Wallhacks
• Triggerbots
• Unauthorized scripts
• Input manipulation
• Exploits providing an unfair advantage
• Software designed to interfere with VALORANT
• Any other method of obtaining an unfair competitive advantage

Confirmed cheating may result in immediate player and/or team disqualification.

Confirmed offenders may also be banned from future VNT events.

21. Account Sharing & Impersonation

Players must use their own registered VALORANT accounts.

The following are prohibited:

• Account sharing
• Playing under another player's identity
• Allowing another person to play
• Using an unregistered account
• Providing false registration information

Confirmed violations may result in immediate disqualification.

22. Bugs & Exploits

Players may not intentionally abuse serious bugs or glitches to gain an unfair advantage.

If a significant bug occurs:

1. Stop intentionally exploiting it.
2. Notify tournament staff.
3. Provide evidence if possible.
4. Follow staff instructions.

Tournament staff may:

• Continue the match
• Pause the match
• Restart a round
• Replay a match
• Apply a penalty
• Disqualify a team

The appropriate response will depend on the circumstances.

23. Stream Sniping

Some VNT First Strike Open Series matches may be officially streamed or broadcast.

Players participating in streamed matches acknowledge that their gameplay may be publicly broadcast.

Players may not intentionally watch a live broadcast of their own match to gain information.

Players may not:

• Stream snipe opponents
• Receive information from broadcast viewers
• Use another person's stream to obtain enemy information
• Communicate with spectators for competitive information

Teams are responsible for ensuring that their players do not receive unauthorized broadcast information.

24. Broadcast & Media

Selected matches may be streamed on VNT-affiliated channels or platforms.

By participating, players acknowledge that their:

• In-game name
• Riot ID
• Gameplay
• Voice communication, where applicable
• Team name
• Tournament results

may appear as part of tournament coverage.

VNT may use tournament gameplay, screenshots, clips, and results for tournament-related promotional and archival purposes.

Players will be informed of any specific broadcast requirements before participating in a streamed match.

25. Match Fixing & Collusion

Teams may not intentionally manipulate tournament results.

This includes:

• Intentionally losing
• Predetermined results
• Sharing competitive information with opponents
• Coordinating results
• Bribery
• Intentionally throwing matches for an external benefit

Confirmed match manipulation may result in immediate disqualification and removal from future VNT events.

26. Evidence & Complaints

Players may report suspected rule violations to tournament staff.

Useful evidence includes:

• Video recordings
• Screenshots
• Match recordings
• Discord messages
• Relevant game information
• Other reliable evidence

Complaints should be submitted as soon as possible after the incident.

Players should avoid publicly arguing about an active investigation.

Tournament staff will review the available evidence before making a decision.

27. Tournament Staff Decisions

Tournament staff are responsible for interpreting and enforcing these rules.

Staff may intervene when:

• A rule has been violated.
• Tournament integrity is threatened.
• Technical problems affect competitive fairness.
• A situation is not explicitly covered by the rules.

Possible penalties include:

• Warning
• Round loss
• Match loss
• Player removal
• Team disqualification
• Tournament ban

Tournament staff decisions regarding tournament administration and rule enforcement are final.

28. Rule Loopholes

Players may not intentionally exploit wording, omissions, or technicalities within these rules to gain an unfair advantage.

If a situation is not explicitly covered, tournament staff will make a decision based on:

• Competitive fairness
• Tournament integrity
• The intended purpose of the rules
• The circumstances of the situation

Attempting to deliberately exploit a rule loophole may itself result in disciplinary action.

29. Prize Pool

The prize pool for the VNT First Strike Open Series will be announced separately.

If a monetary prize pool is available, VNT will publish:

• Total prize pool
• Prize distribution
• Eligibility requirements
• Payment method
• Payment timeline

Prize information will be communicated before the tournament begins.

30. Tournament Expansion

The initial tournament capacity is 16 teams.

If demand is significantly higher than the initial capacity, VNT may expand the tournament.

Potential expanded formats may include:

• 24 teams
• 32 teams
• Larger group stages
• Additional playoff slots

If the number of teams changes, VNT will publish the updated tournament structure before the event begins.

The final format will be determined based on the confirmed number of teams.

31. Tournament Cancellation or Postponement

VNT reserves the right to cancel or postpone the tournament if:

• There is insufficient participation.
• Technical issues prevent the tournament from operating properly.
• Tournament integrity cannot reasonably be maintained.
• Unexpected circumstances significantly affect the event.
• Other circumstances make it impractical to continue.

Any cancellation or postponement will be communicated through the official VNT Discord.

32. Rule Changes

VNT reserves the right to modify, clarify, or add rules when necessary.

Changes will be communicated to participating teams before taking effect whenever reasonably possible.

Major changes affecting the competitive format will be announced publicly through the official tournament channels.