The Challenger League in Valorant differs from the VCT not only in prize pools and gameplay level but also in Riot’s approach, which has made it unstable and inconvenient for players. Recently, the AVPA reached out to Riot, urging them to intervene in the current situation, warning that the league could face total collapse.

AVPA’s Statement

The Americas VALORANT Players Association (AVPA) published a statement on their official website, claiming that the Tier-2 Valorant scene, especially in America, is experiencing a severe decline and risks falling apart at any moment.

"Tier-2 in North America is facing a critical downturn among both contenders and game-changing players. A decrease in top talent, reduced organizational investments, and insufficient structural support have destabilized the ecosystem. At the heart of these issues are systemic problems, including an excessive focus on financial independence and a lack of guaranteed support from Riot Games. We believe there are several ways to restore the scene, but the key to saving North America's competitive scene lies in joint efforts to address these fundamental issues and rebuild the Tier-2 ecosystem.

The organization highlights several primary issues: stability, audience engagement, inconsistent scheduling, and a lack of collaboration with university programs that could train and nurture future professionals. As a result, the Tier-2 scene is losing talent, with many organizations disbanding their Valorant teams due to a lack of motivation, potentially impacting the main VCT league in the future.

Solutions to the Problem

In addition to identifying the causes, the AVPA proposed solutions to improve the situation. Their suggestions range from practical ideas, like requiring every VCT team to have its own Challengers division, to more controversial ones, such as revenue sharing. Below are some of the proposed solutions:

• Revenue Sharing: This would incentivize players and increase their earnings.
• Annual Event Calendar: Regular events would attract different investors.
• VCT Rewards: Teams whose players successfully move to the VCT division could receive rewards.
• NIL Program: Allows players to sign contracts based on their name, image, and NIL data.
• Mandatory VCT Contracts: Riot Games should require Tier-1 teams to establish Challengers divisions.

Overall, the association offers 10 different points that could partially resolve the issues with the Tier-2 Challengers scene. For more details, visit the association’s official website.

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So far, Riot Games has not responded to the statement, as no comments have been made. However, it is worth noting that stories of Challengers players ending their careers due to the poor conditions in the Tier-2 scene are frequent, confirming the severity of the issue.