Riot Games finally announced all the Valorant partnered teams that will usher in the new era of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT).
These selected teams will be competing in next year’s International Leagues in three regions: Americas, EMEA, and the Pacific. Each region will have 10 partnered teams, which makes 30 in total.
According to Riot Games, the selection process was “incredibly competitive.” The screening process involved written applications, in-depth interviews, and financial reviews that spanned months.
These teams will be part of the largest VCT international event next year when they compete in the kick-off event at the start of the season in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
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All 30 Valorant partnered teams entering the VCT 2023 season
Americas
| TEAM | REGION |
| Sentinels | North America |
| 100 Thieves | North America |
| Cloud9 | North America |
| NRG | North America |
| Evil Geniuses | North America |
| FURIA | South America |
| LOUD | South America |
| MIBR | South America |
| KRÜ Esports | South America |
| Leviatán | South America |
EMEA
| TEAM | REGION |
| Fnatic | Europe (United Kingdom) |
| Team Liquid | Europe (Netherlands) |
| Team Vitality | Europe (France) |
| Karmine Corp | Europe (France) |
| Team Heretics | Europe (Spain) |
| Giants | Europe (Spain) |
| Natus Vincere | Europe (Ukraine) |
| FUT Esports | Europe (Turkey) |
| BBL Esports | Europe (Turkey) |
| KOI | Europe (Spain) |
Pacific
| TEAM | REGION |
| Zeta Division | Japan |
| Detonation Gaming | Japan |
| Gen.G | Korea |
| T1 | Korea |
| DRX | Korea |
| Team Secret | Southeast Asia (Philippines) |
| Paper Rex | Southeast Asia (Singapore) |
| Rex Regum Qeon | Southeast Asia (Philippines) |
| Talon Esports | Southeast Asia |
| Global Esports | Asia Pacific (India) |
How these Valorant partnered teams were selected
Riot Games’ official statement explained how they narrowed down the number of teams that applied for franchising. These three factors became pivotal in their selection process:
- Organizations that share their values of always putting fans first, celebrate Riot Games’ diverse community, and teams that are committed to supporting pros.
- Organizations that have created a strong connection with fans through engaging content, a compelling brand, and an exciting roster.
- Organizations that are built for the long-term, with a focus on sustainability.
Missing from the list of partnered teams is OpTic Gaming, an organization that had one of the most consistent Valorant rosters so far. They placed within the top three at every international LAN they have attended this year, winning Masters Reykjavik and finishing as the runner-up at Valorant Champions 2022.
Another team that failed to secure a spot in the EMEA region is FunPlus Phoenix, who won Masters Copenhagen.
According to Riot Games, past competitive performances were not a key consideration in their decision. “We instead focused on an organization’s ability to create the most compelling VCT for fans in the future.”
Teams and organizations that didn’t make it in franchising can compete in the Challengers leagues next year. The top teams that emerge from the Tier 2 scene will get a chance to move up to the international leagues through Ascension tournaments.
READ MORE: Some of the biggest organizations have reportedly been denied VCT 2023 partnership
