Riot is discussing future of Valorant esports with teams, organizers

Valorant’s closed beta generated unprecedented excitement through strategic Twitch integration, but the critical question remains about sustainable competitive infrastructure development.

Riot Games unveiled preliminary competitive plans that diverged significantly from their League of Legends approach. While establishing industry standards for publisher-controlled ecosystems with LoL, the company appears to be adopting more open competitive frameworks similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 for their new tactical shooter.

“Our vision for Valorant’s esports potential is expansive, and we’re committed to building this competitive journey collaboratively. Initial priorities center on establishing strategic alliances with professional competitors, influential creators, event producers, and platform developers—empowering these stakeholders to co-create the VALORANT competitive landscape,” explained Whalen Rozelle, Riot’s Senior Director of Global Esports, in his ESPN interview.

Rozelle confirmed discussions with more than 100 esports stakeholders encompassing tournament producers and professional teams. While specific partner identities remained confidential, Valorant immediately attracted established organizations including T1, Cloud9, and G2 Esports.

Riot’s decision to pursue a more decentralized competitive model for Valorant represents a significant departure from their established approach. In 2017, the company transitioned North American and European League of Legends competitions to a franchise structure. This model guaranteed ten organizations permanent slots in premier tournaments in exchange for substantial financial commitments, mirroring traditional sports leagues like the NFL and NBA.

The franchise implementation encountered resistance from established teams unable to secure the necessary capital for slot acquisition. Despite these challenges, the franchising strategy proved enormously profitable, generating over $450 million in revenue from franchise fees alone. Activision Blizzard observed this success and expanded the concept, deploying similar systems for Overwatch League and Call of Duty League.

Prior to adopting franchise systems, both Overwatch and League of Legends featured vibrant, diverse competitive circuits with events produced by ESL, DreamHack, and Major League Gaming. Valorant’s initial competitive calendar will likely incorporate multiple established multi-title tournament organizers, providing broader participation opportunities.

The Overwatch League specifically demonstrated franchising viability within the first-person shooter genre, with slot acquisition costs reaching $20-35 million per organization. This established precedent makes eventual Valorant franchising financially compelling for Riot Games, particularly given the competitive weapon balance considerations that parallel tactical shooter mechanics.

Even without immediate implementation, a franchise structure remains a plausible future development for Valorant esports. Sustained viewership growth and engagement metrics could create financial incentives too significant for Riot to overlook. The company will likely monitor key performance indicators including average viewership duration, sponsorship revenue growth, and competitive ecosystem stability before committing to such a transition.

Industry analysts project that franchise implementation would likely follow a 2-3 year community-building phase, allowing the game to establish its competitive identity while building player loyalty through accessible tournament structures that contrast with the exclusive nature of franchised leagues.

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