Riot Games is already talking about an esports scene for their new FPS title, Valorant. Given the success of League of Legends across the globe, the community is excited to see what Valorant will become. However, the question of smaller tournaments has already begun to rise.
100 Thieves was the first to organize a competitive Valorant invitational. Over 425 thousand viewers tuned in across all platforms to watch teams made of various Twitch personalities and CSGO pros compete. Without a prize pool, however, this tournament was simply a friendly competition between four teams of five.
Valorant tournament guidelines
Riot Games has strict guidelines for Valorant tournaments, both minor and major. Travis Gifford was the first to release these for future Valorant tournaments. The company insists that blood be toggled off for the broadcast, regardless of size. It doesn’t clarify why exactly this rule exists, but it’s likely this is to make broadcasts more marketable to sponsors. While minor, changes like this could be the difference between a major sponsor adding their name to Valorant and not.
Furthermore, no event may use the words ‘championship’, ‘season’, or ‘league’ to promote their tournaments, at least not without official approval from Riot. Small tournaments – those with prize pools of under $10,000 USD – cannot use Riot’s logo and trademarks in promotions. They must also include a disclaimer saying, “This competition is not affiliated with or sponsored by Riot Games, Inc. or VALORANT Esports.” Larger tournaments may not have to follow the latter two guidelines – if they obtain Riot’s permission.
Community tournaments
With esports on the rise, community tournaments are a great way for upcoming professionals to show their skills. Smaller organizations and communities will be allowed to hold Valorant competitions as long as they follow the guidelines. Additionally, organizations will only need Riot’s permission to hold such events if the prize pool exceeds $10,000. Anything less than this amount doesn’t have to go through Riot first.
Riot has plenty of other guidelines for tournaments depending on size. Make sure to check the full document for all the details. And for more Valorant coverage, stay tuned to Daily Esports.
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