Fan Fest at VALORANT Champions Shows Strong Support for the Esports Scene
When you think of ‘sweaty’ VALORANT players, you probably imagine the try-hards you come across in Unrated or Swiftplay. But at Champions 2023, the Fan Fest showcased a more encouraging side of ‘sweaty’ VALORANT fans.
As part of Riot Games’ VCT Champions add-ons, a Fan Fest was held for players of all skill levels in the early hours of each morning during the finals. Eager fans who woke up bright and early at 8am could get a chance to meet up and connect.
Many fans turned out right away, causing the event to grow to several hundreds of people before the gates to the arena opened. It was heartwarming to see people who only knew each other from online interactions, even just through their Discord usernames, finally meet in person. Even members of the media who had only communicated digitally got to experience that feeling.
Aside from the incredible jump shot we saw from the Red Bull court, one thing that stood out during the pre-match festivities was the amount of merchandise fans had and how quickly it sold out. VALORANT fans are willing to spend, which could bring relief to the esports industry during the upcoming winter season.
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In recent times, the esports industry has been going through a reset, with organizations facing financial challenges and job cuts. However, one area that remains profitable for organizations is merchandise. Sentinels, for example, has seen their profits increase from $1.3 million in 2021 to $1.9 million in 2022, thanks to the successful sale of merch.
At Fan Fest, it felt like the majority of fans were proudly wearing team jerseys or official VALORANT merchandise. The longest lines were not to meet influencers, but to buy gear. As soon as fans entered the venue, they rushed to the stores to get their hands on high-value items like plushies and hoodies.
Saturday saw the most enthusiastic turnout, given that it was the weekend and the grand finals. Fans could be seen wearing jerseys supporting various teams like Paper Rex, Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, Liquid, 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Sentinels, FaZe, and TSM. The lines were even longer, and fans walked away with bags full of merchandise.
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This shows that fans genuinely care about VALORANT and its esports scene. While they may have more attachment to individual players than teams, esports fans have proven their willingness to support the industry through merchandise purchases. This is a significant shift, as esports has often been seen as less lucrative than traditional sports.
Esports organizations will need to explore additional avenues for revenue beyond merchandise, but it’s clear that merch sales can bring profitability to struggling companies. If fans are willing to stand in a scorching Los Angeles parking lot to buy merchandise, then the esports fan market has more potential than we initially thought.
As a result, more organizations might survive the winter than anticipated.
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