G2 Esports spark controversy at VALORANT Champions 2024 by jumping off the map in a match against Leviatán

The global VALORANT Champions 2024 tournament is underway in South Korea, and one of the playoff matches has stirred up discussions within the community. On August 15, during the first playoff match between G2 Esports and Leviatán on the map "Abyss," G2 Esports made an unusual move by simultaneously jumping off the map in the middle of a round.

In the 14th round, with a score of 9-4 in favor of their opponent, G2 Esports had lost the previous pistol round and found themselves in an economic situation. Right after the round started, the team chose an unexpected approach, jumping off the map simultaneously. This move was made to deny their opponents money for kills and ultimate points.

Community and analyst reactions

G2 Esports actions sparked a strong reaction within the community. DRX team content creator and VCT analyst LotharHS criticized the move on his X (formerly Twitter) account, calling it "extremely disrespectful to the sport, viewers, opponents, and tournament organizers." He added that Riot should not have allowed such actions.

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LotharHS also pointed out that if this action is prohibited, G2 Esports should be penalized. However, if Riot did not anticipate this possibility in advance, it’s their fault. He also mentioned that he had warned about potential issues with the "Abyss" map on the day of its release.

Sentinels player Zekken responded to LotharHS's statement, asking if dying from the spike explosion is also disrespectful to the sport. LotharHS replied that the comparison is inaccurate since in the case of spike deaths, the round continues, and the team has a chance to inflict damage or secure a kill.

Zekken expressed his opinion, stating that jumping off the map prevents the opponent from gaining ultimate orbs and only takes a few seconds, so he sees no problem with it.