Riot Blocks Nadeshot from Streaming VALORANT on the day of Closed Beta Release

Cover And Thumbnail Image Courtesy: Nadeshot

• Nadeshot will not be able to stream VALORANT on 7^th April due to Riot revoking his access.
  
  
• The decision has been taken by Riot following multiple complaints by LCS, LEC, and LCK team owners.

100 Thieves owner, streamer, and one of the most iconic esport personalities in the world Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag was taken aback when Riot Games esports division blocked him from streaming VALORANT on 7^th April, which is the first day of the closed beta.

The reason behind Nadeshot being given a 24-hour ban on streaming the tactical first-person shooter has been attributed to multiple League of Legends owners complaining about them not being handed a similar invitation.

Image Courtesy: Nadeshot

In the following Twitch clip Nadeshot while talking to Dennis “cloakzy” Lepore says that “Other LCS, LEC, and LCK team owners complained that I had access when they don’t have access so Riot asked me not to stream, until the 8^th next day.”

[Also Read: VALORANT Developers Reveal what to Expect from the Game During and After the Closed Beta]

According to a report by Dexerto, there was a communication gap between Riot’s esports division and people running VALORANT’s launch. Due to which, multiple owners associated with the company complained of,

1. VALORANT showing preference to the 100Thieves brand by letting Nadeshot stream ahead of them.
   
   
2. Nadeshot getting a financial and competitive advantage because it meant he could scout players before them.

Due to this, Riot arrived at a common solution by requesting everyone associated with a League team to wait until 8^th April to stream VALORANT, regardless of their invite status.

Something similar has been announced publicly via a Reddit comment as well by Kasra Jafroodi - Esports Business Strategy Lead for VALORANT, wherein he states that VALORANT wants to ensure all esports organizations receive access to the game at the same time, so as not to create any sort of competitive advantage for anyone.

Revealing that “we asked Nadeshot to not stream until the 8th, to ensure fairness in access to VALORANT both for esports organizations and fans.”

The following has led to a rift between team owners across the board, as some stand behind Nadeshot while others are backing Riot’s decision. Though the matter seems to have settled down with Nadeshot saying that “Although I’m bummed that I was asked not to stream & won’t be live for the 1st day, I understand the position Riot is in and respect their wishes,” it could have been worse under different circumstances.

Hope Riot Games and VALORANT have better communication between their respective teams going forward.

[Also Read: Valorant Anti-Cheat Lead Talks About Hardware Bans, Detection and AI Approach]