The announcement and implementation of the VCT franchise league in Valorant changed everything, splitting teams into upper and lower tiers. This was supposed to benefit everyone, but after two years, the Challengers leagues have begun to decline, while the VCT continues to thrive. The situation is now critical: top organizations that supported Tier 2 teams are leaving the discipline due to terrible conditions.
In this article:
Major organizational issues
The Tier 2 scene in Europe is divided into nine different leagues. While this number will decrease in 2025, it remains difficult to manage and organize effectively. Riot Games found local organizers for each league to handle operations, but finding nine high-quality organizers who perform their jobs well is challenging. As a result, some leagues, like VCL 2024 East: Surge, fail to deliver prize payouts, inform participants about upcoming tournaments on time, or address organizational problems, which organizers often ignore. Acend’s owner, who recently exited the scene due to these difficulties, shared these issues.
The mismanagement of tournaments, broadcasts that don't appeal to the majority, low viewership, prize money delays (even casters waiting for their 2023 payments!), a lack of communication, and the cancellation of Split 3 tournaments. It all got worse.
Let me be clear: our impression of the Riot staff was excellent. They were professional, passionate, diligent, and extremely friendly. But once we descended to T2, everything changed.Benjamin "Bencb" Rolle, CEO of Acend
Lack of investment from Riot Games
Although a substantial amount of funding is allocated to the Tier 2 scene, it is barely noticeable, given that EMEA alone has nine different leagues. When this budget is divided across four competitive regions and further split between individual leagues, the resources available for teams are insufficient for sustainable operation without external sponsors. However, sponsors see little incentive to invest. As a result, even talented players like Mohammad "Pa1ze" Khatib—who topped the kill leaderboard in VCL 2024 East: Surge—struggle to find a team despite their sacrifices for their careers.
An unfavorable environment for investors
It’s impossible to recover large investments in the Tier 2 scene. The abundance of leagues, multilingual coverage, and the absence of top-tier clubs result in low average viewership. The only reason organizations invest in Challengers teams is the chance to earn a VCT franchise spot, where they can profit through themed capsule sales, a share of Valorant Champions revenue, and other Riot-supported income streams, including sponsorships.
However, there is only one VCT slot available for the entire EMEA region, contested by up to 100 teams throughout the year. This makes investing in teams risky since other esports disciplines and projects offer more favorable conditions for new clubs. The situation worsened after 2024, when the duration of new teams’ stays in the VCT was reduced to one year.
Incompetence of those in charge
Riot Games has created an ecosystem at the Tier 2 level that is almost impossible to manage effectively. As mentioned earlier, there were nine different leagues in the EMEA region in 2024, each run by a different organizer. Some organizers made mistakes, such as broadcasting matches in only one language, despite the fact that fans of some clubs primarily communicate in English and are spread worldwide. This negatively impacts viewership. Additionally, other organizational issues and unfulfilled promises, revealed by the owner of Acend after the organization exited the scene, indicate significant problems. Acend reportedly spent over $700,000 across two years before pulling out.
People in critical roles being massively overpaid while delivering incompetence that ruins the progress for everyone. Esports deserves better. Valorant deserves better. Maybe Riot’s focus is on T1. Maybe the higher-ups are unaware of what’s going on. Maybe things will change. But right now, it’s a disaster for orgs.Benjamin "Bencb" Rolle, CEO of Acend
EMEA organizations leaving Valorant after 2024
A look at the list of organizations that either left Valorant entirely or disbanded their rosters reveals that something is deeply wrong with the Tier 2 scene. A large number of clubs have decided to leave the discipline permanently or temporarily. Below is a list of teams from the EMEA region that announced the disbandment of their rosters after the 2024 season ended:
While not all of these organizations have left the scene completely, some may announce new rosters before the next season starts. However, many have publicly stated that they will only return if Riot Games fixes the situation, allowing organizations to operate sustainably rather than pouring money into the scene without any return.
How can the Tier 2 Valorant scene be saved?
Despite the current dire state of the Tier 2 scene, especially in the EMEA region, it can still be saved if Riot Games takes serious action. Here are some ideas that could significantly improve the situation for organizations and teams:
Increase the number of slots or extend the VCT duration
Reducing the duration of Ascension winners’ stay in the VCT franchise league to one year has negatively impacted teams that were planning long-term investments. Some organizations built rosters with the hope of developing them for a chance at the VCT, but the abrupt decision to shorten their stay shattered these plans. Organizations like Acend, Zero Tenacity, Team Falcons, and M80 decided to reallocate their resources and leave Valorant. Reversing this decision or increasing the number of slots for an extended period could remedy the situation.
Allocate slots for Masters and Champions
Providing at least one slot per region for Tier 2 teams at the Masters would not only raise the level of competition but also create additional revenue opportunities. Clubs would attract more fans by showcasing their skills on the global stage. Currently, with lower viewership in Challengers compared to VCT and international tournaments, attracting sponsors is difficult. This issue has already been explained in this article.
Increase the number of tournaments
Most Tier 2 teams participate in only 2-3 tournaments per year. Riot Games responded to feedback by adding Split 3, but this is still insufficient. Many teams go long periods without competitive practice, especially those who do not qualify for Ascension.
As clubs are reluctant to cover player salaries during off-seasons, they opt for short-term contracts. Expanding the number of tournaments and motivating new organizers to host events would positively impact both the players and the overall scene.
The Tier-2 scene is the core of esports Valorant, as it’s where future talents are born, many of whom already make up a significant part of the Tier-1 scene. If Riot Games doesn’t address the issues and fix them, which they are capable of doing, young players in the future may choose other disciplines where the conditions are more favorable for development than in Valorant.
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