Riot Games has officially announced that as of October 4th, Bleed Esports has been removed from the VCT Pacific league. They will be replaced by BOOM Esports, the runner-up of the 2024 Ascension Pacific tournament.

What Did Bleed eSports Lose?

As of October 4th, Bleed Esports is no longer a part of Valorant's franchised league, having lost their spot due to failing to meet critical reporting requirements and other key obligations under their agreement with Riot Games. This means that in 2025, the team will not participate in any Valorant Champions Tour 2025: Pacific Kickoff events or other VCT tournaments. Additionally, they will miss out on revenue from branded in-game skin sales, which represents a significant source of income for organizations within the VCT ecosystem.

A New Contender in VCT Pacific

Riot Games has decided to replace Bleed Esports with BOOM Esports, the finalist of the Valorant Champions Tour 2024: Ascension Pacific. BOOM Esports came close to qualifying for the league through their own efforts but fell short in the grand final. Now, the Pacific region will feature two teams that have risen from the Challengers league in 2024.

Before the launch of the partnership program, we had just returned from Champions, but unfortunately, we didn’t make it through. Last year, we lost to the eventual champions after leading 9-3 on Pearl. This year, we were even closer, nearly completing a comeback from 0-2, but fell in the fifth map with a score of 11-6 in quadruple overtime by just 0.0087 seconds. It was heartbreaking, and we didn’t even discuss our future.

I informed the players as soon as I found out, but honestly, they were all asleep at the time. Most of them learned about it after the official announcement.

Gary Ongko Putera, founder of BOOM Esports

READ MORE: Sin Prisa Gaming secures VCT Pacific 2025 slot in a spectacular and grueling match

The Aftermath

Bleed eSports’ removal from VCT Pacific has opened the door for BOOM Esports, giving them the opportunity to compete at the highest level in the region. While this decision provides BOOM Esports a chance to prove themselves in the big leagues, it is a major blow to Bleed Esports, both in terms of reputation and financial prospects.

SOURCE: X