By Sagar V. Mankar The Esports World Cup 2024 is a highly anticipated global tournament scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This prestigious event aims to bring together the best esports teams and players from around the world to compete in 19 popular gaming titles.
While the Esports World Cup 2024 promises to showcase some of the most exciting esports competitions, one notable absence from the lineup is VALORANT, the popular tactical shooter game developed by Riot Games.
As Riot Games’ other titles Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends are already part of the event, the exclusion of VALORANT left fans puzzled.
Why Won’t VALORANT Be Part of the Esports World Cup 2024?
According to James Fudges, an esports advocate, Riot Games was seriously considered Valorant for inclusion in the Esports World Cup 2024, and Valorant professional esports ecosystem has also pushed hard for it.
However, due to scheduling conflicts with the game’s existing competitive calendar – VALORANT Champions Tour 2024 (VCT 2024) which was announced two months before the Esports World Cup, it ultimately didn’t make the cut.
The VCT 2024 schedule includes various stages and events, such as:
- Champions Tour 2024: Masters Shanghai (Ongoing – May 23—Jun 9)
- Champions Tour 2024: Pacific Stage 2 (Upcoming – Jun 15—Jul 21)
- Champions Tour 2024: China Stage 2 (Upcoming – Jun 15—Jul 21)
- Champions Tour 2024: EMEA Stage 2 (Upcoming – Jun 18—Jul 20)
- Champions Tour 2024: Americas Stage 2 (Upcoming – Jun 22—Jul 22)
- Valorant Champions 2024 (Upcoming – Aug 1—25)
The first half of the VCT 2024 schedule features the regular season and playoffs of the Champions, while the second half overlaps with the Valorant Champions itself, with both tournaments concluding on August 25.
This overlap with the Esports World Cup, scheduled from July 4 to August 25, made it impossible for VALORANT teams to participate in both events simultaneously.
In contrast to VALORANT’s tight schedule, the competitive calendars for Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends were more flexible, allowing Riot Games to include these titles in the Esports World Cup 2024 lineup.
Road Ahead
While VALORANT’s absence from the Esports World Cup 2024 is disappointing for fans, there is hope for the future.
Riot Games has signed a one-year contract with the Esports World Cup Foundation and is cautiously considering a longer partnership.
This could potentially lead to adjustments in the VCT schedule for 2025 which is yet to be announced, allowing VALORANT teams to participate in the next event.