The Rivalry between North American VALORANT Teams
The two North American VALORANT teams led by popular content creators never had the chance to compete against each other during the 2023 Challengers season. However, a rivalry formed between the owners Ludwig and Disguised Toast through their friendly trash talk.
Although the Moist Moguls and Disguised VALORANT rosters had contrasting results by the end of the 2023 season, the competition for viewership was closely contested. According to data from Esports Charts, Moist Moguls narrowly surpassed Disguised to secure the top spot among NA VALORANT Challengers teams for average viewers.
Moist Moguls had an average of 68,952 viewers throughout their Challengers run, the highest among NA teams. Disguised came in a close second with 68,293 viewers. Due to the teams’ differing performances, their viewership numbers varied across different stages of the season.
In split one, Moist Moguls dominated with approximately 96,400 viewers, more than 15,000 viewers higher than Disguised. This was partly due to watch parties hosted by Ludwig and Critical. It was the highest average viewership for any team during any stage of NA Challengers in 2023. However, in split two, Disguised took the lead with an average of 75,000 viewers in the first five matches after yay joined the team.
Despite the addition of yay, Disguised did not achieve any competitive success. The team went 0-5 in split two and ended up in the relegation bracket, while Moist Moguls finished first in split two and qualified for the playoffs. During the relegation matches, Disguised’s viewership dropped significantly, averaging around 48,700 viewers. In the playoffs, Moist Moguls regained the top viewership spot with an average of 69,500 viewers, although they narrowly missed out on Ascension.
Related: VALORANT coach Sean Gares on Disguised relegation: ‘Some of the most disappointing games I’ve spectated’
Although the two teams didn’t compete against each other, Ludwig and Moist Moguls had a more successful campaign. Disguised Toast parted ways with his roster after the disappointing end to the season. While he continues to support a Game Changers roster and an LCS Academy team, it remains uncertain if he will return to Challengers. However, many fans hope for a VALORANT streamer org derby in 2024.
North American VALORANT teams, rivalry, Challengers season, Ludwig, Disguised Toast, viewership, split one, split two, playoffs, streamer org derby.