Riot Games Introduces Partnership System for VALORANT Esports
Riot Games has announced that a partnership system will be implemented in VALORANT next year. This new system will bring a change to the game’s professional scene, moving away from the current pseudo-open circuit established by the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2021. The revamped VALORANT circuit is set to kick off at the beginning of 2023.
The International Model
Unlike the buy-in system used in the franchised Overwatch League and League Championship Series, Riot will introduce a stipend system. This means that select teams will receive financial support from Riot to form partnerships with the company. These partnered teams will then compete in international LAN tournaments against teams from different regions.
Riot will host three international leagues, covering Asia, Europe, and the Americas, where teams will battle it out for a chance to participate in global events like Masters and Champions. These leagues will take place on LAN with live audiences, provided that health and safety conditions are met.
The first league will include teams from North America, Latin America, and Brazil. The second league will feature squads from Europe, Russia, Turkey, and MENA, while the final league will include teams from Southeast Asia, Korea, and Oceania. Teams that partner with Riot for the international leagues will also have the opportunity to collaborate on esports-branded content exclusively in VALORANT.
The application process for team selection will begin this year and Riot will base their decision on a track record of building great esports experiences, developing players, and contributing to the long-term growth of VALORANT esports. However, it’s not clear whether these leagues will have a relegation format.
Domestic Leagues and Tournament Mode
While select teams compete in the international leagues, Riot will continue to host domestic competitions, similar to the VALORANT Regional Leagues introduced earlier this year in European regions. These leagues will be integrated with a new in-game tournament mode, where players can create teams and compete to qualify for the domestic leagues. Every VALORANT player will have access to the tournament mode from the client, serving as a supplement to the existing leaderboard.
Third-Party Tournaments and Game Changers
Since the main VALORANT circuit will run from the start of the year until the conclusion of Champions, which is expected to be around the end of September, there will be a dedicated offseason for teams to rebuild their rosters. During this time, third-party tournaments, similar to the smaller open tournaments in North America, will take place.
Additionally, the dedicated female VALORANT league, Game Changers, will have a Championship event scheduled for next year.
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