Riot Games Expands VALORANT Challenger Ecosystem to Meet Teams’ Demands
The future of the tier-two scene in VALORANT has been a hot topic as VCT Champions 2022 approaches and the 2023 VCT partnership model looms. Riot Games has now revealed its expanded plans for the VCT Challengers based on overwhelming demand from teams.
Whalen Rozelle, head of esports operations at Riot, stated, “A strong Challengers ecosystem is a key part of VALORANT esports’ long term success and we believe connecting every level of the pyramid is the best way to give aspiring stars the chance to shine and teams to participate in meaningful high stakes competitions.”
Riot has introduced 21 regional circuits for the Challenger ecosystem, including regions like North America, Brazil, Korea, Japan, and more. Teams will go through open qualifiers and compete in two splits of the regular season, with top teams advancing to the Ascension tournament. Winners of the Ascension tournaments will earn a two-year promotion to their respective international leagues.
Starting from 2026, two teams from each region will ascend to their respective international leagues. Riot has also revealed that the number of teams in the international league will increase to 14 by 2027.
Previously, there were concerns within the VALORANT community about the lack of information on the tier-two system and the limited number of teams in the international league. Riot’s expansion plans have addressed these concerns, but some organizations have already reconsidered their investment in VALORANT.
However, with the establishment of a dedicated broadcast window and opportunities to compete at the highest tier, the tier-two scene in VALORANT is likely to entice more organizations to get involved.