- The 30 partnered teams have already been informed
- Non-partnered teams will have to battle it out in Challengers
- The partners will compete in the São Paulo kickoff event in February
VALORANT fans will not have to wait long to see who the partnered teams for the 2023 VCT are, as Riot will announce them next Wednesday.
Riot to Reveal Partners
The way a lot of esports leagues operate is that teams who want to be part of a certain league must apply to it and be excepted. This could have many formats, with the organizing body of the league deciding how to select the teams for partnership. The VALORANT Champions Tour is no exception, and recent reports say that Riot will soon announce what teams it has decided to partner with for the 2023 VCT.
The announcement will be next week, Wednesday, September 21. Over 150 different organizations have applied to join the Americas franchise league alone. However, only 10 organizations from North America, LATAM, and Brazil will be successful in joining in the first year.
Most European, North American, and Latin American teams that have made the cut, have already been informed. Those that have not received an answer from Riot will, unfortunately, not be part of next year’s VCT partners. It is still unknown when Riot will tell these teams it did not choose to partner with them.
What Will the Partnered Teams Do?
There will be 30 teams from across the world competing in Riot’s inaugural international leagues`, which in turn will be held in America, EMEA, and Asia. Non-partnered teams will have to battle it out in Challengers. The Challengers circuit will culminate with a new tournament dubbed Ascension. The winners of this event will be given a spot in their respective leagues for the following year.
The main criteria that Riot used to select its partners is probably popularity. The more popular the team, the higher chances it has to be selected, as Riot understands this will bring more fans to the screens. Although this method of selection may seem unfair, as it does not put performance and achievements as the main criteria, it’s important for Riot to hype up the upcoming VCT as much as possible. Besides, teams become popular often exactly because they win tournaments and achieve great things. The selected 30 teams will participate in the São Paulo kickoff event at the start of the competitive year in February. The tournament will last three weeks and will double as the VCT’s first Major of the year.
