With the 2022 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) season finale in Istanbul, an era within Riot Games’ competitive shooter game came to an end. The eSports competition wrapped up with the crowning of the Brazilian outfit LOUD as the new World Champion, and the lineup for VCT 2023 is already in place.
Competitive gamers participate in the Valorant Championship Tournament 2022 event this past July. Riot Games has released the lineup for the next series, which begins in February 2023. (Image: Rave Pubs)
Riot Games is introducing new VCT leagues, which will host international and regional events. It’s a novel approach that mixes current leaders with rising legends, which could prove beneficial to competitive eSports everywhere.
eSports continues to find larger audiences, both for viewing and participation. The industry isn’t slowing down, with a recent report projecting an overall value of $3.5 billion within five years. With a CAGR of 21.3%, it’s easy to see why it’s an important part of the global gaming industry.
VCT 2023 Features North American Regulars
The VCT Americas International League will bring together the 10 leading organizations from North America and Latin America to compete for the regional championship in Los Angeles. North America will have five teams whose names are common to eSports fans. 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, NRG and Sentinels have left their mark on the eSports industry already, and will continue next year.
Being part of the scene for several years, Cloud9 and Evil Geniuses are synonymous with eSports. They have huge fan bases and multiple championship wins, including in Legends and CS:GO. Looking to the future, these veteran outfits will fuel the next generation of stars, as they proved in the last VCT and Game Changers.
Joining them are 100 Thieves and NRG. They have been innovating in eSports for five years, not only as competitive teams but also as brands. Backed by high-caliber investors and their large army of gamers and content creators, they will seek to establish themselves within VALORANT in their quest for international glory.
The Sentinels have been around since the early days of First Strike. Now, with the expansion of international leagues, the Sentinels will continue to push the region forward and inspire a new generation of fans to believe in them.
Latin America Leads the Charge
Among the chosen teams out of Latin America are KRÜ Esports and Leviatán. Both squads have become leaders at the top of Valorant eSports since the game’s launch. In addition, they have cultivated a vibrant fan base within the broader Hispanic community.
Alongside their international campaigns, KRÜ and Leviathan catapulted onto the global stage by impressing fans with their precision in front of the screens. This has made their long-running rivalry something to talk about in 2023 and beyond.
Also out of Latin America, Brazil will have three teams. LOUD, FURIA and MIBR are at the top of the charts, and will also host the first edition of the VCT next year.
LOUD is the first to stand out as the current world champions. However, they are also a leading Brazilian organization in several games. With an unprecedented fan base, the team will defend its crown against the best across the LatAm region.
FURIA and MIBR have a long history in Brazil, mostly in the first-person shooter scene. They both have multiple international titles and generations of players rising to the top. This could prove why their region might be the most powerful in the Valorant ecosystem.
For the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) roster, 10 teams made the final cut. Spain’s Giants, Team Heretics and KOI captured three spots. In addition, there are BBL and FUT Esports from Turkey, NaVi from Ukraine, British squad FNATIC, Team Liquid from the Netherlands and France’s Vitality and Karmine Corp.
Marking Their Territory
To get here, squads from all of the regions embarked on a months-long selection process. It included a written application, multiple in-depth interviews and detailed financial reviews. The process was incredibly competitive and overwhelming, given the number of requests the Riot team received during this time.
According to those in charge of selecting the chosen teams, previous competitive performance was not a key factor in determining the candidates. This explains why teams like OpTic Gaming and TSM were left out of the new international league.
Riot Games will release all the information about the tournament lineups in the coming months. However, the first event is already in place. The inaugural tournament will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, on February 14 of next year.
The post All 30 Teams for Esports’ Valorant Champions Tournament ’23 Now in Place appeared first on Casino.org.
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