VCT India Update: Riot Games Reportedly Evaluating How to Serve Indian Valorant Community
Cover-Credits:
- Riot Games is currently evaluating how to best serve the Indian community at the domestic and international levels.
- The statement was made by a Riot Games representative to IGN India but the studio has not confirmed if India will be a part of the VCT just yet.
- Last month, Riot Games reportedly reached out to multiple stakeholders in the Indian esports community to plan the country’s involvement in the VCT.
Update: Riot Games has just announced that India and South Asia will have a way into the VCT.
Riot Games shared its thoughts on Valorant’s popularity in India and is reportedly currently considering options to cater to the growing competitive player base in the country. It was reported last month that Riot Games was considering India for inclusion in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). The studio has reiterated its interest in the country and its esports ecosystem in a recent statement to IGN India. A Riot Games representative stated that Riot Games was committed to bringing esports opportunities for Valorant players worldwide. They also added that they were evaluating how to best serve the Indian community who has shown an "incredible amount of interest" in competing on both a domestic and international stage. However, the studio did not confirm if India will be receiving a spot in the Valorant Champions Tour just yet.
Why does India need a slot in the Valorant Champions Tour
India’s entry to the Valorant Champions Tour can boost the country’s esports ecosystem. Indian teams like Team Mahi have proven themselves to be on par with some of SEA’s finest Valorant teams in various tournaments like the PVP Esports Final 2020. Team Mahi is among the top 10 teams in the APAC region according to popular team rankings site vlr.gg
Slots in the VCT would allow the best teams from India to compete against one another in the regional and global playoffs. This would promote the Indian Valorant esports scene and provide a platform for the community to grow.
The ongoing Valorant Champions Tour is Riot Games’ first attempt at hosting a major global tournament for its FPS title. The American video game developer, publisher, and esports tournament organizer is responsible for hosting some of the biggest esports events of all time including several editions of the League of Legends World Championships. The response to VCT from the community has also been positive. Teams are currently competing for the Masters event which will be hosted in Iceland, leading up to the Champions event towards the end of the year. If India is included in the VCT, the country’s best esports teams will be able to compete in the next stage later this year or perhaps in a future iteration of the VCT in 2022 or beyond.
With no official word from Riot Games regarding India’s inclusion just yet, fans will have to wait and see if India is added to the list of eligible countries. The country has multiple organizations that have competed at the international level and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the global event.
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