Riot Faces Criticism Over VALORANT Esports Dialogue
VALORANT esports had an eventful weekend, with Game Changers finals happening in each main region. However, the tier-two scene is not without its drama. Riot, the developer of VALORANT, recently faced criticism from players, coaches, and bystanders after a suggestion made by the global head of VALORANT esports.
On Saturday, Riot’s global head of VALORANT esports took to Twitter to address discussions regarding the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), particularly the second tier and the addition of Ascension tournaments. This tweet received backlash, including from a player from The Guard who was upset about being referred to as a “guest” lineup.
Player Jacob “valyn” Batio, a controller for The Guard, expressed his disappointment with the word choice of Riot’s global head, Leo Faria. Faria’s tweet, meant to show support for second-tier teams, didn’t sit well with players and fans.
In response to Ludwig, Faria expressed his support for more tier two tournaments and opportunities for teams like The Guard to make it to the main VCT stage.
However, Faria’s use of the term “guest slot” to refer to The Guard’s earned spot in the 2024 VCT didn’t sit well with fans or fellow VALORANT players.
The VCT Ascension tournaments are a new initiative added to the VALORANT Champions Tour league this year. The winners of these tournaments earn a spot in the main VCT league for the following two years. These tournaments conclude the Challengers leagues, which consist of tier-two VALORANT teams. Many of these teams are run by organizations and consist of players who didn’t make it through the tough franchising period in late 2022.
Recent criticism of Riot’s franchising model has raised concerns about the disparity between the level of teams in Challengers and the main VCT league. Ludwig, in particular, has pointed out that certain tier-two teams perform better than franchised teams.
According to Ludwig, teams that underperform in the main VCT league, such as Japan’s Detonation FocusMe who didn’t secure a single win the entire season, should be relegated. This would allow teams like The Guard, who have proven themselves in tier two by winning the Ascension tournaments, to enter the league.
The Ascension tournaments were originally meant to bridge the gap between tier one and tier two. However, fans have raised questions about the value of winning an Ascension tournament if teams can never truly ascend to the big leagues.
In another tweet, Faria responded to the criticism by stating that regardless of whether they are called guest slots or something else, the teams deserving of their spot in the VCT have earned a two-year stint and are not of lesser value.
has reached out to Riot for further comment.
VALORANT esports, Riot, VCT, Ascension tournaments, The Guard, tier-two teams, VALORANT Champions Tour, franchising, Ludwig, relegation, Ascension slots, big leagues.