All Valorant partnered teams competing in VCT 2023
It’s official!
Riot Games finally announced all the Valorant partnered teams that will usher in the new era of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT).
These selected teams will be competing innext year’s International Leaguesin three regions: Americas, EMEA, and the Pacific. Each region will have 10 partnered teams, which makes 30 in total.
According to Riot Games, the selection process was “incredibly competitive.” The screening process involved written applications, in-depth interviews, and financial reviews that spanned months.
These teams will be part of thelargest VCT international eventnext year when they compete in the kick-off event at the start of the season in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Pacific
How these Valorant partnered teams were selected
Riot Games’ official statementexplained how they narrowed down the number of teams that applied for franchising. These three factors became pivotal in their selection process:
Missing from the list of partnered teams isOpTic Gaming, an organization that had one of the most consistent Valorant rosters so far. They placed within the top three at every international LAN they have attended this year, winningMasters Reykjavikand finishing as the runner-up atValorant Champions 2022.
Another team that failed to secure a spot in the EMEA region isFunPlus Phoenix, who wonMasters Copenhagen.
According to Riot Games, past competitive performances were not a key consideration in their decision. “We instead focused on an organization’s ability to create the most compelling VCT for fans in the future.”
Teams and organizations that didn’t make it in franchising can compete in theChallengers leaguesnext year. The top teams that emerge from the Tier 2 scene will get a chance to move up to the international leagues through Ascension tournaments.
READ MORE:Some of the biggest organizations have reportedly been denied VCT 2023 partnership
