Riot Games has announced a host of plans for Valorant, to enhance the gaming ecosystem.
The new plans, which kick off from 2023, will see the addition of three new international leagues and also a new system to identify long-term partners for the Valorant esports circuit.
The new international leagues will have teams competing from the Americas, Asia and Europe on LAN tournaments in front of live audiences. The first league will have teams from North America, Latin America and Brazil. The second will feature teams from Europe, Russia, Turkey and the MENA region while the third league will have teams from Southeast Asia and the Oceania region. Teams will also be competing in ‘week-over-week’ competitions and will stand a chance to qualify for two Masters and the Valorant Champions tournament.
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Riot Games has also announced their plans to expand their current Challengers and Game Changers systems. New domestic leagues are expected to be introduced which will give the up-and-coming talents a platform to reach the international leagues. The domestic leagues will have a new in-game mode integrated which will help Riot Games find the best Valorant players from around the world.
John Needham, President of Esports at Riot Games, commented,
“Together, all these elements will contribute to a competitive ecosystem that will position VALORANT for its next stage of growth. We want to build the top level of competition that will provide more exciting matches, new events that will thrill live audiences, and engaging experiences for millions of online fans.”
Whalen Rozelle, Head of Esports Operations at Riot Games, added,
“With VALORANT, we want to build today’s most thrilling esport alongside the most well-managed, ambitious, and exciting teams in the industry.
‘We have designed our long-term partnership model for VALORANT so teams can thrive and build their business alongside the overall growth of VALORANT Esports.”
Riot Games have also announced their plans for their partnership programme. Riot Games will be removing the entry and participation fees for teams who meet the criteria to be partners of the Valorant circuit. Qualifying teams will also have the opportunities to work together on in-game activations and the ability to ‘distribute esports branded content’.
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